What to Know
- Demolition work has begun at a landmark paper plant in NJ that was devastated by a seven-alarm fire that also toppled its iconic sign
- The work at the Marcal plant in Elmwood Park is expected to take about four months to complete
- No injuries were reported in the blaze, but 500 people lost their jobs
Demolition work has started at a landmark paper plant in northern New Jersey that was devastated by a seven-alarm fire that also toppled its iconic sign earlier this year.
The work at the Marcal plant in Elmwood Park is expected to take about four months to complete.
Officials have said they can’t determine what caused the Jan. 30 blaze, which did not cause any injuries.
Investigators conducted more than 100 interviews and concluded that the fire started in a building where large rolls of paper were stored. But efforts to determine what sparked the blaze were greatly hampered by the extensive damage the fire caused at the site.
The fire destroyed 30 of 36 buildings and Marcal’s iconic red sign. It took firefighters more than 12 hours to douse that fire, which totally engulfed the mill and sent smoke and flames billowing into the air that could be seen for miles.
No injuries were reported in the blaze, but 500 people lost their jobs.
