Two people were injured and several residents were displaced when a fast-moving fire severely damaged two homes in Bayonne, including one where the city's public safety director lives.
The Jersey Journal reports the fire started around 3:30 a.m. Sunday in a two-story home that had been converted into apartments. It soon spread to the top level of a neighboring three-story home.
Authorities say a woman hurt her leg when she jumped from a second-story apartment window, while a man living in the same unit suffered smoke inhalation. Both were treated at a hospital.
Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the blaze in the two-story home, but it took about an hour to bring the fire at the other home under control.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
The two-story home, where the fire originated, suffered heavy fire damage to the second floor, while the three-story home had heavy fire damage in the roof and attic. Both buildings had heavy smoke and water damage.
Eight people living in the two homes were displaced.
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Robert Kubert, the city's public safety director and former police chief, lives in the three-story home.
Kubert told police that when he saw smoke and fire coming from the two-story home, he entered the building to warn the occupants and tried to help the woman on the second floor, but the flames forced him to retreat.
