Story and photos by Ron Jeffers
A fast-moving fire consumed the top-floor of a four-story ordinarymixed occupancybuilding in Union City, New Jersey, on December 3, 2012.
North Hudson Regional(NJ) Fire Department communications began receiving numerous phones calls for the fire on Bergenline Avenue near Fifth Street, one block away from a grammarschoolwith children leaving for the day shortly after 3 p.m.
Firefighters encountered heavy fire already venting out of top-floor windows on the B-side and no smoke alarms could be heard. A valiant attempt was made to attack the fire on the top floor, but conditions deteriorated rapidly and all companies were ordered out of the structure.
Three alarms were struck as master streams were set up, including ladder pipes, a squirt, and a special call for a tower ladder from Jersey City.
The huge column of smoke was visible in Manhattan, and at times banked down low on the city streets chasing residents and spectators from the area.
The building contained 24 residential units over a grocery store and barber shop. Some 100 people were displaced and moved to a city shelter.
