Montclair Fire Damages Bank and Local Business, Injures 3 Firefighters

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A fire damaged the Montclair Chase Bank on Valley Road, consumed a nearby business on Bellevue Avenue and caused minor injuries to three Montclair firefighters on Saturday, authorities say.

Town officials stated that the cause of the fire has been classified as accidental, but contributing factors leading up to the fire are still under investigation.

Authorities said that a person using the Valley Road Chase Bank ATM came to the Upper Montclair firehouse around 5:30 a.m. on Sept. 3 and told firefighters that they noticed the smell of smoke inside the bank. Montclair Fire Department personnel arrived at the scene to find a “heavy smoke condition” inside the bank, but discovered that the smoke was actually emanating from the building behind the bank at 255 Bellevue Avenue.

Firefighters then made entry into the building to extinguish the fire, managed to suppress the main body of fire in under an hour, and declared the fire completely under control around 7:33 a.m., authorities said.

The flames consumed one business on the first floor of 255 Bellevue Avenue and caused smoke, water and overhaul damage to the other stores and businesses, authorities stated. In addition, the Chase Bank had smoke damage on all floors, as well as damage to the front entrance door.

After the fire was extinguished, firefighters found an old doorway that once connected the two buildings, through which the smoke traveled, filling the bank, MFD officials said.

Authorities stated that no civilian injuries were reported, but MFD personnel suffered three minor injuries: a lacerated hand, a knee injury and smoke inhalation.

Fire Departments from Clifton, East Orange, West Orange, and Bloomfield helped to bring the fire under control, while departments from Paterson, Verona, and Cedar Grove covered the township.

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