Residents Displaced After Rubbish, Car Fires Spread To Building In Bayonne

BAYONNE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Six Bayonne residents have been displaced after several cars and rubbish caught fire early Friday morning and the flames spread to a residential building.

The fire broke out around 3:30 a.m. on West 18th Street. Fire Chief Keith Weaver said it started as a rubbish fire on the curb, then spread to the cars and neighboring house, CBS2's Andrea Grymes reported.

"My father heard the explosion, then he wake me up, and I see my car was on fire," said Mina Sawires, who owned one of the two vehicles that were completely destroyed.

Firefighters put out the flames and 10 residents inside the building were evacuated. The six who were displaced had fire damage to their apartment and are being helped by the Red Cross.

No injuries were reported.

"Thank God the people was OK," Sawires said. "It's not about the car. It's about the people in the house."

Howard Porch, who lives next door, said he evacuated as a precaution and is grateful the flames didn't spread further.

"This could've been my house," he said. "It could've been somebody got hurt or killed, you know. It's just a sad situation."

Authorities said three other rubbish fires were also reported during the same time within a three-block radius.

Two fires were on Kennedy Boulevard, at West 19th and West 20th streets. Another was on West 18th Street at Avenue C.

"The circumstances do seem suspicious, certainly, so that's why the cause remains under investigation," Weaver said.