A pizza parlor in New Jersey is destroyed and several other businesses are damaged after a massive inferno broke out Sunday night, officials say.
The flames ignited just before 10 p.m. at Bruno’s Pizzeria on Main Avenue near Jefferson Street in Passaic, officials said.
Fire Chief Patrick Trentacost tells NBC 4 New York the fire had been burning a while before anyone called 911.
The blaze spread to the floors above the pizzeria, as well as other nearby shops. At least eight other businesses have been damaged or destroyed by the inferno. The businesses were all closed at the time, according to Trentacost.
“When firefighters first arrived they found heavy, heavy fire so we’re thinking the fire burned for a while before we got here," Trentacost said.
Families in two apartments had to escape to safety.
Video from the scene shows heavy flames shooting through the roof of the building while thick smoke chokes the nighttime sky.
No injuries were reported, however, the fire was tough to battle because of the heat and how and intense the flames were.
Smoke continued to pour from the building around 2 a.m. and firefighters remained on the scene overnight dousing hot spots. Cops have several streets blocked off.
Firefighters will remain on the scene through the morning to make sure nothing else flares up.
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The cause of the fire is not yet known.
