North Brunswick Residents Cleared To Return Home After Massive Warehouse Fire
NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- North Brunswick residents have been allowed to return home following a massive warehouse fire forced them to evacuate last week.
Mayor Mac Womack gave residents the good news Sunday, WCBS 880's Jim Smith reported.
"I think this is a all-clear, all-clear, so thank goodness they were finally able to give us that," he said.
North Brunswick Residents Cleared To Return Home Following Massive Warehouse Fire
Womack said city officials deferred to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Environmental Protection to monitor the air quality.
He said they were able to give the all-clear after no spikes were recorded in readings over several hours.
Hundreds of firefighters responded to the blaze, which broke out around 2 a.m. Wednesday in the rear of the complex that is used by eight businesses off Livingston Road in North Brunswick, Fire Chief Donald Salzmann said.
One firefighter was treated at the scene for a hand injury.
Residents Happy To Return Home
Residents of a nearby apartment building were ordered to leave after heat from the blaze set the siding on fire. Others were moved as a precaution over fears of potential toxins being released from burning plastic.
Leslie Diaz and her family were removed from the area for five days and found it very trying, 1010 WINS Carol D'Auria reports.
Her mother and brother have disabilities so they found it easier to stay in a hotel than the shelter that was set up. But it was expensive and in her words "horrible."
"To eat out plus pay for the hotel -- it was way too much money," Diaz said. She's glad to be back home.
Firefighters were still dousing hot spots Saturday at the burned-out wreckage.
