Fire Burns Through 3 New Jersey Homes

At least three homes in Paterson, N.J., went up in flames in the early hours of Saturday morning, fire officials told NewsChannel 4. The fire was so intense it took firefighters five hours to bring it under control, NewsChannel 4s Vivian Lee reported. She said the fire started on 16th Avenue shortly after midnight, burning through at least three homes. By morning, little was left but charred hulks. Neighbors said that homeless people were squatting in one of the buildings that burned. Another 14 homes on the block were damaged, chiefly as a result of the extreme heat melting their vinyl siding. Officials told Lee no residents were injured, thanks in part to the quick thinking of area resident David Sanchez and his nephew, who pulled three people and a dog from the house next the building where the fire started. Lee reported that the Red Cross helped 25 other residents find temporary shelter. Fire officials are investigating the possibility that the fire may have been sparked by an illegal electricity connection from a utility pole.