Huge Fire Displaces Dozens On July 4th In Essex County, NJ

Newark, NJ - A four-alarm fire displaced dozens of Essex County residents over the July 4th holiday weekend, authorities say.

According to the Newark Department of Public Safety, firefighters responded to a large blaze at a multi-story residential complex on Pennsylvania Avenue around 11 p.m. on Sunday.

On scene, firefighters saw that three, three-story wood frame residences and a two-and-a half story home were burning. Three of the residences were occupied and one was vacant, authorities said.

Firefighters elevated the blaze to a four-alarm situation around midnight, with more than 100 firefighters and 24 fire apparatuses dispatched to the scene.

Fire crews brought the conflagration under control around 2:38 a.m. on Monday, authorities said.

The Fire Division’s Community Service Unit and the American Red Cross are making arrangements to assist the 21 adults and seven children displaced by the fire, authorities said on Sunday.

The cause and the origin of the fire are currently being investigated by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Arson Investigation Unit and the Newark Fire Division’s Arson Squad.

Only one person was injured during the incident, a firefighter who was taken to UMDNJ for evaluation, authorities said.

Anyone with information about the fire is urged to contact either agencies arson investigators, authorities stated.