Massive New Jersey fire destroys apartments in dry, windy conditions
JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- A huge fire in Jersey City left nine families homeless after it tore through their apartments overnight.
Video shows flames shooting from the top of the buildings on JFK Boulevard near South Street just before 11 p.m. Friday.
Firefighters worked overnight to get the fire under control.
"It was just panic and you hear people freaking out."
Windy conditions helped the fire to spread quickly across two buildings, neighbors said, as people ran for their lives to escape.
"I went outside and I just see flames all over the place, and the wind is just making it worse," one neighbor said.
"The orange glow was very large so, it looked strange and when I opened the door to my apartment and I heard all the commotion, I knew there was something wrong," said Alex Pugh. "It was just panic and you hear people freaking out."
The American Red Cross said it was assisting 26 residents who were impacted.
Two firefighters were taken to Jersey City Medical Center and treated for minor injuries.
It's believed the fire started at a business on the ground floor, then spread to adjacent apartments. The arson squad is investigating the cause.
New York and New Jersey brush fires
The Tri-State Area has been under a Red Flag Warning due to the combination of dry and windy conditions, which increase the risk for fires.
New York City firefighters have battled a brush fire in Brooklyn's popular Prospect Park, while smoke from brush fires in the Palisades area of New Jersey has been blowing across the Hudson River.
