53°
The blaze began around 1:30 a.m. on the roof above an electrical supply store of the First Street building and quickly went to three alarms, Carlstadt Fire Chief Rob Popejoy said this morning.
Ladder trucks had to be used because the building was ready to collapse, he said.
Neighbors reported the fire at about 1:30 a.m. when they noticed smoke in the area, he said. When firefighters entered the building, it was already on the verge of collapse.
The blaze was under control, mutual aid teams were released, around 4:45 a.m.
Joining Carlstadt were dozens of firefighters from East Rutherford, Hasbrouck Heights, Little Ferry, Moonachie, Passaic, Rutherford, Wallington and Wood-Ridge.
It was too early to tell what sparked the fire, although officials noted that work was being done on the roof of MDR Electrical Supply Inc. earlier yeseterday. All mail was protected against fire, smoke and water damage, they said.
CLIFFVIEW PILOT PHOTOS: Damian Danis
Click here to follow Daily Voice Rutherford and receive free news updates.
