'We Will Rebuild,' Bound Brook Mayor Says After Massive Fire

BOUND BROOK, NJ — As firefighters continue to put out hot spots from the massive seven-alarm apartment fire Sunday night, Bound Brook Mayor Bob Fazen says the borough "will rebuild."

"I think this will delay things for about a year, but we will rebuild," Fazen said of the downtown revitalization project.

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

It then spread to another apartment building across the street called the WeMa for West Main Street and two other adjacent buildings, including a rooming house that had six residents and another apartment building with six units, Fazen said.

"This is the biggest fire for sure," Fazen said of Bound Brook's history. "The buildings being wood framed literally sent flames up to the sky."

Fazen added that since the buildings were still under construction and open to the air, "it literally flamed the fire."

Several homes nearby were also evacuated as a precaution due to structural concerns from buildings affected by the fire.

Police are telling residents that if they see a sign on their home, they should not enter it. Residents should call 908-536-8800 or 211 for assistance.

"Again, these signs are placed for your safety as well as the safety of potential first responders and should be obeyed," Bound Brook police said.

Officials from all governmental levels are working to figure out what caused the devastating fire. Those agencies include the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Fire Investigation Unit, and fire officials from Bound Brook, Somerset County, New Jersey and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

"There are still hot spots that firefighters are working to contain, and the area has not been deemed safe for engineers or to allow investigators to get a preliminary assessment," said Deputy Chief Frank Roman Jr. of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.

Currently, the prosecutor's office is conducting an exterior investigation of the buildings. Roman hopes investigators will be able to assess the cause Tuesday.

"Looking at a timeline, realistically, we are hoping to get investigators into the scene by tomorrow," he said.

Bound Brook Court will also be closed on Tuesday as a result of the fire.

"This is, of course, a challenge, but by no means is this the end," said Bound Brook Downtown Manager Kate Knowles-Brindle. "This is only the beginning. Bound Brook is resilient, and we will recover. Not only will Bound Brook survive this, but it will thrive in this new decade."

"We've had setbacks before," said Anthony Pranzatelli, chair of the Bound Brook Revitalization Partnership. "We’ve been through floods, we’ve been through fires. There was a similar fire in 2010 at the Queen’s Gate Community behind Shoprite. It is now one of the most successful projects. So Bound Brook has always survived and come back stronger than before, and we will again."

Downtown Bound Brook is looking for volunteers to help the community rebuild. Those interested can visit the volunteer page at downtownboundbrook.com or contact Knowles-Brindle at manager@downtownboundbrook.com.

"Bound Brook is the oldest community in Somerset County," Knowles-Brindle said. " We’ve been beating the odds for centuries, and we will again."

• See Related: Raritan Valley Line's Bound Brook Station To Reopen After Fire
• Related: Roads, Schools Impacted After 7-Alarm Fire Rages In Bound Brook

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