Paterson N.J. block nearly wiped out by fire

Two firefighters injured, four alarms, five hours, six homes, eight-inch water main problems, twelve mutual aid towns, nearly thirty pieces of
apparatus, fifty people homeless and scores of firefighters! That’s what it was like at the scene of a general alarm fire which broke out just before 4:00pm on Friday, April 17, allegedly originating in the basement of 106 Mill St. This was the second major fire on this block in the last six months. The first fire destroyed three homes and damaged two others.

Neighbors noticed smoke coming from the basement of the two story building and called 911 to report the fire. The first units on the scene declared a working fire with smoke showing. As Deputy Chief Murray arrived on the scene, the fire had already begun to travel to the upper floors. The building was one of several attached structures and the Chief ordered a second alarm as crews attempted an aggressive interior attack. The fire took hold rather quickly and was now spreading rapidly to the adjacent structures, fanned by a stiff wind and hampered by low water pressures.

A third alarm was sounded, bringing mutual aid companies to the scene. Conditions continued to deteriorate and the interior crews were ordered out of the fire buildings, with safety a concern. As the Paterson companies hammered away with two ladder pipes, a tower ladder, two deck guns and several two and a half inch lines, the mutual aid companies attempted to gain additional water supplies to boost water pressure on the fire. A decision was made to relay water from Main St., some three blocks away, from the twelve inch water main. West Paterson’s engine dropped a five inch LDH from Main St. and relayed to a Totowa Engine, who in turn fed Paterson’s Ladder 2 and Engine 7 with additional water.

A fourth alarm was issued for additional engines to relay water from Spruce St., which also had a twelve inch main. North Haledon’s engine grabbed a hydrant at Spruce and Oliver Sts. and relayed to a Haledon engine two blocks away. Haledon pumped a five inch over two walls to give Paterson’s Ladder 3 an additional feed on the Jersey St. side. Fairlawn’s Engine 1 took a hydrant at Grand and Spruce Sts. and fed Prospect Park’s Quint for an additional aerial stream and two and a half inch line, also on the Jersey St. side. Little Falls, Totowa, West Paterson, Haledon and Wayne Co.2, all rotated teams on master streams on the “A” of the buildings and Prospect Park operated in the rear with the Paterson crews. Passaic, Little Falls and Wayne Co.2 all had ladders staged at the scene. Several other mutual aid towns covered the city’s firehouses including but not limited to; Paramus, Glen Rock, Saddle Brook, Lodi, West Paterson, Wayne and Elmwood Park. The fire was placed under control around 9:00pm. A Paterson firefighter and a Fairlawn firefighter were both transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. A civilian was treated at the scene for smoke inhallation. Six buildings were either damaged or destroyed. Approximately fifty people were displaced by the fire and the American Red Cross was on the scene to assist them. Teaneck’s Box 54 Canteen crew
responded with two units and supplied refreshments.

The cause and origin are under investigation by the Paterson Fire Department, the Passaic County Arson Squad, The Passaic County Prosecutors Office and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Story and Photos by
Ron Johnson – NJMFPA
See more photos at: www.photozonfire.com