Over 80 firefighters responded to the blaze that began just after 7 p.m. at a three-story multi-family home on Grant Avenue.
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When units arrived, there was heavy fire in the basement and a lot of debris which made the efforts more difficult.
The fire got into the walls and spread throughout the home.
"I went in the hallway and looked over the balcony, I seen massive smoke, not dark but white smoke like it's just starting," one resident said. "I went back in the house, got my family and said let's go, we gotta get out of here."
A man was pulled out of the basement and taken to Jersey City Medical Center in critical condition with life-threatening burns.
There was also an infant in the home who was not breathing. First responders were able to revive the baby, who was taken to the hospital. He is breathing on his own and is expected to be ok.
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Black smoke poured out of the building and filled the sky above.
It was smoke alarms that in this fire, saved lives.
"I heard it in my sleep and just wake up, and came out and tell everybody 'fire, fire fire,'" said resident Tessa Perry.
"We heard the alarms, everybody was yelling in the hallway to get out, get out. My husband yelled get out, and I got out," said resident Nicole Bourne.
Firefighters tried to drown the fire with water but it took hours to get it under control.
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They were still putting water on the home late into the evening and expected to be there throughout the night.
Some residents left so fast they didn't have time to get a jacket. "I just lost everything, I gotta start all over," said Bourne.
At least eight families were left homeless by the fire.
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