2 dozen West New York families displaced after massive fire destroys apartment building

WEST NEW YORK, N.J. - A massive fire destroyed a New Jersey apartment building and left two dozen families homeless Thursday night. 

A heavy blanket of smoke lingered over West New York on Friday morning, where only a hollow shell of a four-story apartment complex remains. More than 12 hours after it burst into flames, the remnants of the stubborn fire just refused to quit despite the best efforts of firefighters.

"Seven, 8 p.m., fires was starting to happen in each apartment, each window, and they were trying to kick it down. At 10, I could still see fire from my window," said neighbor Rosemary Urbano. 

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it originated in the basement of Borinquen Bodega on Madison Street just before 5 p.m. Thursday. Firefighters say it took hours to put out because a ruptured gas line was feeding the flames.

"The problem with gas is even if you extinguish it, now the vapor is going in the building and it can explode if it gets to the source of ignition, so our duty is really just to control the fire and protect exposure," said David Donnarumma of North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue. 

The first floor and the roof collapsed, causing one firefighter to fall through a floor to his waist, but he was not injured.

The fire also created a hairy situation for families living inside. Cell phone video shows several of the bodega workers jumping into action to save two children stuck on a fire escape.

Luis Cruz is the bodega owner's brother.

"They went back into the store, even with the fire coming up from the basement. They brought out the ladder and they were able to get the kids off the fire escape," Cruz said. 

Twenty-five families were displaced. An additional 16 families were evacuated from nearby homes.

No one were seriously hurt, but families lost all their belongings, and some lost their pets.

"My children called me, tell me there is a fire in the building, my dog is inside," Germania Beltran said. 

For 17-year-old Alan Norona, the fire robbed him of his best friend, his 3-year-old Shih-Tzu, Rio.

"He just meant everything to me. I would come back home. It's just me because my parents and my sisters are always working. He's the only one that's with me. I have practices, I come home late and he's the only one with me," Alan told CBS2's Christina Fan.

Families returned Friday to see what they could salvage, but quickly realized the answer was nothing.

"I was just scared because it was my cousin's house, and I was scared for them because most of their belongings stay there, their documents and everything," Urbano said.

"The kids are homeless. It's a sad situation. It's always during the holidays something like that happens," neighbor Danny Mahoney said.

The city of West New York has pledged to cover the cost of hotels for families until Monday. Officials are working with the building's owner to permanently relocate everyone.

The Red Cross is now stepping into help provide emergency financial assistance.