Multiple Warehouses On Fire In Belleville

BELLEVILLE, NJ — Firefighters continued to battle a massive blaze well into the night on Sunday in Belleville, according to the mayor.

As of about 9 p.m., crews were still fighting the fire, according to Mayor Michael Melham, who said the town hall and police department had lost power and 911 calls were being handled by Nutley.

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The blaze began on Cortlandt Street in the industrial warehouse area, according to Melham, who first posted about the fire on social media around 3 p.m. and continued to provide updates throughout the day and into the night.

"Due to strong winds, the fire has spread to multiple warehouses and has caused additional structure fires several blocks away," Melham posted shortly after 6:15 p.m.

"We have officially declared a state of emergency and are establishing a command station in the Kmart parking lot."

Belleville police urged people to avoid the area of Cortlandt and Joralemon streets, directing nearby residents to stay inside and keep windows closed due to smoke conditions. The police department also warned people that they might experience low to no water pressure Sunday night.

Portions of Washington Avenue would be closed indefinitely, according to Melham, as of about 9 p.m.

Videos posted by Melham of the scene showed a massive plume of smoke filling the sky as first responders spray the structure with water. Numerous nearby agencies were working to contain the nine-alarm fire, according to the mayor, who noted there were no known civilian injuries.

Melham added he had been in contact with the governor's office and county officials, and said PSEG and the Red Cross were on the scene.

Roads were closed due to the fire, according to Melham.