A massive fire in Paterson has destroyed an apartment building, leaving nineteen families homeless.
This fire caused extensive damage to this apartment building. In fact, the four front apartments are gone. They collapsed and all that is left are open closets.
This fire started around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday night. Fire crews arrived to find three cars parked under the building on fire. The flames raced up the building and into the roof.
Because of the bitter cold, firefighters had their hands full with ice, wind and a rescue.
Chief Earl Plavier, Paterson Fire Department: "We did a primary search to get people out. We found no one. But a woman appeared at window on the second floor. Two men went up a ladder and get the lady down out of the window. She suffered from smoke inhalation and she was taken to a hospital."
The chief said the Red Cross is helping out 19 families. Some of them have gone with families and some are staying at an elementary school in the neighborhood. Two firefighters were injured in this blaze. One cut his face and another slipped on the ice outside.
Sand trucks have been outside and are putting sand down on Madison Avenue.
