By: Richard L. Smith
Paterson firefighters, assisted by crews from across Passaic County, battled a massive multi-alarm fire late Friday night that ripped through a vacant factory building on Piercy Street.
The blaze broke out around 11:30 p.m. at an old mill complex in the 20 block of Piercy Street.
Firefighters arrived to find heavy flames pushing from the structure and quickly struck a third alarm, calling in mutual aid for additional manpower.
As conditions intensified, fire officials escalated the response to a five-alarm fire. Crews initially took a defensive approach, battling the flames from the exterior using multiple hose lines and master streams.
Firefighters operated with heightened caution due to prior reports indicating the building may have housed various materials.
According to past findings by the Environmental Protection Agency and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in 2018, the site contained hundreds of drums with different substances, prompting crews to carefully assess conditions before advancing operations.
By approximately 1:20 a.m., firefighters began gaining control of the blaze, though operations remained challenging.
The large, roughly 200-by-300-foot structure sustained significant damage, including the collapse of an exterior wall into the street. Multiple ladder trucks were positioned as crews continued to pour heavy water onto the fire.
As of about 4:40 a.m., most of the fire had been knocked down, with some pockets of flames still visible, including areas affected by compromised gas lines.
PSE&G crews shut down power to several surrounding blocks to assist firefighters in securing the gas supply.
Firefighters also checked a nearby four-story vacant mill building, where crews reported smoke but no active fire.
No serious injuries were immediately reported.
The cause of the fire remains under active investigation. The Environmental Protection Agency has been notified as officials continue to evaluate the scene.