Firefighters Contain Elizabeth Warehouse Fire

ELIZABETH, NJ (CBSNewYork) -- A huge warehouse fire that burned for three days in Elizabeth has been contained.

The fire started Wednesday afternoon inside the old Burry Biscuits warehouse on Newark Avenue. Saturday afternoon, the fire chief declared the fire was under control.

Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage said officials will continue to watch the fire throughout the weekend.

PHOTOS: Elizabeth Warehouse Fire

"There are still pockets of fire in the basement. Based on most of the combustibles that have been burned up over the last couple of days, we don't expect any more intense heat or intense fire," Bollwage told 1010 WINS.

Smoke conditions have greatly decreased over the last 24 hours and officials don't expect the fire to spread any further.

On Friday, bulldozers were brought in to help firefighters knock down walls to get to the flames. The blaze is burning deep inside the massive warehouse.

On Tuesday, heavy equipment will be moved in to remove parts of the building. They expect the fire to be put out by the middle of next week.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Mayor Bollwage said, "It's typical to believe that this (fire) was not an accident."

"When these buildings are this large, it is very difficult for fire streams to get inside. They reach about a hundred feet and that's about it. So when you have an 800 to 1,000 foot building, we have to push men inside," Deputy Fire Chief Lathey Wirkus told CBS 2′s Mark Morgan.

Initially, over 250 firefighters from about three dozen companies got the fire under control, but the flames were being fed by junked cars, fuel and plastics.

Homeowners and nearby businesses have been told to keep their windows closed due to smoke from the blaze.

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