Belleville warehouse fire out after burning for days; mayor calls it one of the worst in NJ history
BELLEVILLE, New Jersey (WABC) -- After burning for more than four days, the massive 12-alarm fire in Belleville, New jersey is finally out, but the damage and fallout from it are still being felt all across the community.
As demolition gets underway after the massive inferno ravaged an industrial warehouse, parents in the township are now fired up too.
"I don't think they've been very happy at all because the other solution was to go to a different school that's not their home base school and they were upset about that," said parent, Kareem West. "Now it's just remote learning for two days and they're not happy about that either."
Schools were closed on Monday and Tuesday because hoses were stretched across Washington Avenue, which is a main thoroughfare. The middle school is also on this street, and officials were worried about the nightmare that would've caused if they added parents to the mix trying to navigate that closure.
"We have huge 6-inch or 8-inch water hoses strewn all about the place," Belleville Mayor Michael Melham said. "Could not go, no such thing as rush-hour traffic when you have that going on especially on the main highway."
On Thursday night, four days after the fire erupted, and after hot spots flared up overnight from within the rubble, the fire is finally out, but there are still some schools without water.
The mayor says it may become one of the worst fires in the state's history.
The blaze, sparked in a mattress factory, then spread to other buildings, obliterating dozens of businesses.
Governor Mikie Sherrill toured the devastation Thursday night, pledging state aid.
"The worst part about it is you have men and women who were building their businesses to support their families and through no fault of their own they've now lost a lot of money," she said. "A lot of the effort time they put into it so that's why we're assessing this. That's why the mayor and I are in such close touch so we can, once the assessments have taken place, help some of these families."
Mayor Melham said help from the state is necessary.
"This is not something the municipality can handle alone," he said. "Belleville is going to need some help. Our school district is going to need some support, and we're going to be working very closely with the governor's office for that help and support."
It's still unclear how much help the township will need, but the cleanup alone will cost several million dollars.
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