7-Alarm Fire Rages In Bound Brook: Video

BOUND BROOK, NJ — Multiple roads remain closed and Bound Brook schools are delayed on Monday morning following a massive seven-alarm fire on Sunday night.

Church Street, John Street, Mountain Avenue, Hamilton Street, and Main Street all remain closed. Bound Brook schools have a two-hour delayed opening as the crews clean up the aftermath from the devastating fire.

Just as Bound Brook's downtown area was getting back onto its feet following Hurricane Floyd in 1999, a fire ripped through a new construction apartment building complex called Meridia 2 near the train station on Sunday night at 7:53 p.m.

"No idea yet on what or how the fire started. It did start in the building on the southside of Main St.," Bound Brook Capt. Kevin Rivenbark said.

The Raritan Valley train line was suspended on Sunday due to the fire. Service has since resumed, however, Bound Brook Rail station will remain closed on Monday.

The fire has since been extinguished around 2 a.m. but at the time had been upgraded to a seven-alarm fire on E. Main Street after it spread to at least four buildings, Rivenbark said.

The new construction building was unoccupied.

Residents living on E. Main Street and on Drake Street had been evacuated as a precaution.

"We believe we evacuated under 100 people in the area. Those without power or gas are not allowed back into their homes yet, as well as several residence on Talmage Avenue that are directly behind the one building that burned," Rivenbark said.

"I've never seen anything like it in my life," Christina Castellanos of Bridgewater said. "The sky looked like it was on fire from all the embers."

Firefighters and tanker trucks from all over the area including as far as Union County, Bridgewater, Basking Ridge and Far Hills were being called to help control the fire.

One firefighter had a very minor injury.

"There is a major structure fire at one of the current construction sites on Main Street. Please avoid the area and allow for the Fire Department and Emergency Personnel to do their jobs," Bound Brook Police previously stated.

"Residents in the area please stay vigilant. This is a disastrous fire that is very difficult to contain and has the potential to spread to all nearby structures. If emergency personnel order you out of your residence PLEASE LISTEN!" Bound Brook Police previously stated. "We are receiving hundreds of calls to our dispatch centers. Please do not call asking for updates or information. Save the phone lines for TRUE EMERGENCIES!"

Check back as more details are released.

If you have photos or video of the fire email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

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