Nine firefighters were hurt in a five-alarm apartment building fire in Jersey City Sunday night.
According to a report published in The Jersey Journal, one firefighter was hurt by falling debris and eight others suffered heat exhaustion while fighting the fire that displaced several tenants.
Firefighters who initially arrived on the scene of the blaze at about 5 p.m. reported flames shooting through the eves and smoke billowing from the building, the newspaper reported.
An ornamental dome on the roof of the building became engulfed in flames. In addition to the apartments, the ground floor was home to commercial businesses including a laundry and a restaurant, the paper reported.
The fire also spread to an adjacent building, forcing firefighters to use chainsaws to cut away burning timbers and hose down the walls of the second building. Although the adjacent building was not destroyed by fire, residents were still displaced, according to the newspaper.
A resident in the fire building, who lived above the restaurant, said she heard a loud boom and heard fire alarms. She then saw smoke as she exited the building, she told the paper.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
A fire captain was struck in the head and shoulders by roofing material and was taken to Jersey City Medical Center for treatment, the newspaper reported.
A second captain and seven firefighters were also taken to the medical center for exhaustion treatment.
The fire was declared under control at 7:45 p.m. with the help of North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue, Bayonne and Kearny and Harrison fire departments.
