2 firefighters injured, 14 residents displaced by house fire in Paterson, New Jerey
PATERSON, New Jersey (WABC) -- Smoke billowed from two homes on Southard Street in Paterson, New Jersey, marring an otherwise perfect blue 4th of July sky.
Two firefighters were injured as they battled the raging four-alarm house fire that displaced more than a dozen residents and damaged two homes. No residents were injured in the blaze.
Paterson's fire chief said they received a call about the fire after 5:20 p.m. on Friday.
About 80 firefighters worked to put out the relentless fire.
"We encountered heavy fire. Crews went to the rear to try to put it out. We ended up going with an offensive attack and got pushed back out and defensive," Paterson Deputy Chief Jose Molina explained.
Two firefighters sustained mild injuries and about 14 residents were displaced.
Maya Morfa lives a few houses down, on Southard Street in Paterson.
"Absolute panic. We were all trying to get away as fast as we could," Morfa told Eyewitness News. "There was a lot of smoke gathering up. And it was getting really hard to breathe because I'm asthmatic as well."
"It was big. Big flames. Big smoke. And it was already from one house to another," said Paterson resident Celia Villanueva.
"It was bad. The first thing that came to my mind was I hope that the people inside were ok," said area resident Yunior Ferman.
American Red Cross volunteers provided emergency financial assistance to 17 people to help with immediate needs such as temporary lodging, food, and clothing.
It's unclear which home the fire started in. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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