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The five-alarm blaze broke out at the old Villa Maria Home for the Aged on Somerset Street in North Plainfield at 3:30 a.m.
NewsCopter7 was live over the scene:
Due to significant smoke from the fire, Stony Brook Elementary, Harrison School, North Plainfield Middle School and North Plainfield High School closed at 9 a.m.
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The complex sits on 12 acres, with many buildings that have been vacant for more than a decade. The building itself opened in 1889, but was permanently closed in 2002. This is the second time a fire has broken out at the complex. Firefighters were also called to the scene back in July.
No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but authorities believe they are being intentionally set on the abandoned property.