Maplewood FD's Role in Newark Blaze

On Wednesday, August 11, the Maplewood Fire Department played an unseen but vital role in combatting the five-alarm fire in Newark that sent 19 firefighters to area hospitals.

Several surrounding fire departments sent in crews to fight the blaze. Others—such as Millburn—covered Newark fire houses while their crews were at the blaze. (The Millburn crew covered a firehouse on South Orange Avenue. Capt. James Boyle, who was with the crew, said the Millburn firefighters answered one call for a commercial fire alarm during their time in Newark.)

According to Maplewood FD Captain Joseph Callaghan, "Since Maplewood is the southern-most municipality in Essex, we covered all the other towns that went in." Callaghan noted that Belleville, at the northern-most end, provided coverage for the departments at "that end of the county." He reports that no incidents occurred in the covered towns during the Maplewood FD's watch .

The Newark fire that required this mutual aid occurred on South 20th and Ferdinand streets, and is under investigation. Read the full Star-Ledger report here.