Residents Claim Alarms Didn't Sound During Massive Passaic Fire
PASSAIC, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Some residents claim they didn't hear any alarms when an eight-alarm fire broke out Wednesday night in Passaic, leaving two firefighters hurt and forcing hundreds from their apartments.
The fire broke out at 8:45 p.m. Wednesday on the roof of a five-story brick apartment building at 280 Gregory Ave.
Flames shot several feet from the roof and upper floors, and smoke shot out of the roof in a thick column. It took dozens of firefighters from 10 communities about five hours to bring the flames under control.
Residents said they had no warning of any kind when the blaze broke out and are amazed no one was killed, 1010 WINS' Glenn Schuck reported.
"It's already burning, how come the alarm was not on? No alarm at all," resident Milton Das said. "I heard the screaming, that's how I knew it was burning, something was going on and when I saw the fire truck, that's how I knew that something was wrong. And then I just left with my baby."
"The alarms didn't work last night," resident Nathaniel Dickson told WCBS 880's Sean Adams. "Somebody was in the hallway telling us to get out of the building, I didn't know whether it was a fire or not. I just looked outside and they told us to leave the building."
Das is demanding answers.
"My question is why the alarm was not on?" Das said. "I expected the alarm on; but thank God I'm alive, my baby is alive and also my wife is alive."
Two firefighters suffered minor injuries and were taken to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson, officials said.
A Passaic County spokesperson said 300 to 400 residents have been displaced.
Das is now trying to figure out the next move for his family and 22-month-old baby. He said he has nothing left besides the clothes that his family is wearing, their car keys and a cellphone.
"I have no help, I don't know what to do, I don't know where to go," he said.
Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco said they are investigating if the alarms work and how the fire started, CBS2's Christine Sloan reported.
"The only thing we know it started in apartment 5E," Blanco said. "A lot of residents approached me and told me there was an argument on the fifth floor a lot of running around we're investigating that."
Donna Realty is listed as the owner of the building, according to information obtained by CBS2. CBS2 reached out to the owners, but did not receive a call back.
Sources told CBS2 that the building had no previous violations, but could face new ones after the investigation.
Late Thursday, some residents were allowed back into their apartments to salvage what they could.
