Schools closed again after warehouse fire in Belleville, N.J. destroys entire block

Schools in Belleville, New Jersey, were closed for a second day Tuesday and will remain closed Wednesday, after a massive fire destroyed an entire block Sunday.

Tuesday was a third day of smoky conditions in the New Jersey town. Residents say it's a problem. 

"It's bad. Two days, it's bad. Even in the house," one resident said. "My kids, we send them far." 

The Department of Environmental Protection is doing air quality testing. 

Flames broke out at a mattress factory at 347 Cortlandt St. The blaze quickly spread to both sides of the building and burned for hours.

White smoke could still be seen Tuesday morning coming from the affected buildings. The air quality also remains hazardous. Firefighters are still dousing hotspots with water. 

Belleville school officials initially said most schools would be back open Tuesday. Overnight, they issued a statement saying classes would remain canceled due to updated guidance from emergency services.

Late Tuesday, they announced Belleville Public Schools will remain closed Wednesday.

New video obtained by CBS News New York shows the moment the fire likely started in the back corner of a warehouse. A worker can be seen trying to put out the flames. 

14-alarm fire devastates community

Brendan Ramirez lives behind the warehouse and two doors down from the homes that caught fire after embers from the warehouse landed on the roofs. 

"I saw that the warehouses were on fire, but I didn't know I was in any danger, then started noticing they were shooting water over the houses," Ramirez said. 

He evacuated after police cam knocking on his door. 

"They said I gotta get out, and I was like 'Why?' and they pointed, and I looked to the left. And soon as I came to my door right here, and I could see the fire right there," he said. 

Some 50 people are now displaced. Many were evacuated because there's no water and gas has been shut off so crews can start demolishing the buildings. 

Several businesses inside the warehouse were destroyed, including an upholstery company and a boxing gym.

Legacy Boxing Gym owner Yessenia Montalvo said her business is now just ashes.

"It is a family, and I mean you can tell [from] the messages on our Facebook page, on our Instagram, everybody just giving us support and, like, it's not about me. It's about what we've built, how we support one another," she said.  

Embers from the fire also ignited and destroyed two homes. The Red Cross is helping the eight people who lived there.

Two firefighters were treated overnight for smoke inhalation and exhaustion, but, miraculously, no one else was hurt.

How did the fire start? 

The mayor of Belleville said welding work inside the factory likely sparked the fire.

"When you weld near fabric or foam, that's a bad scenario right there," Mayor Michael Melham said. 

Officials said, besides foam and fabric, there were a lot of other flammable materials in the warehouse, including helium tanks and cardboard.

"To see everything gone, all of our work gone, it's depressing, honestly," said warehouse employee Angel Lauriano.

The ATF is leading the investigation, Melham said.