Firefighters battled an early morning fire that ripped through a house in Elizabeth on Wednesday.
According to preliminary reports, Elizabeth firefighters raced to 163 Westfield Avenue after receiving reports of a fire inside the home with possible trapped occupants just before 4:30 a.m.
Crews arrived at the scene began to stretch several lines after observing flames tearing through the roof of a large three-story house.
Elizabeth fire officials struck a second then third alarm for manpower as firefighters began to chase flames that raced through the walls of the structure.
Firefighters were ordered out of the structure and into a defensive position after intense flames and smoke engulfed the building according to reports.
A search of the house came back negative for trapped and injured occupants, but EMS provided blankets to over two dozen displaced residents.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but police believe fireworks caused the blaze.