Firefighters battle hot spots after raging Edison fire destroys public works garage
EDISON (WABC) -- A massive four-alarm fire destroyed a public works garage in New Jersey Thursday night, and firefighters remained on the scene Friday to battle hotspots.
More than 100 firefighters were called out to the facility around 10 p.m. Thursday on New Durham Road in Edison and arrived to find huge flames sending large plumes of black smoke into the air.
The garage was completely gutted, and nearby homes were also damaged. Several municipal vehicles were also destroyed, including 11 salt spreaders with attached snow plows, three street sweepers, three repaving vehicles, a road maintenance truck and a fire engine that was awaiting repairs.
Officials estimate the damage at $4 million.
"I am thankful there was no loss of life or injury to the many firefighters who helped bring this fire under control as quickly and safely as possible," Mayor Thomas Lankey said.
The items stored in the garage are really what kept the fire burning -- tires, propane tanks, equipment and chemicals -- and several explosions were reported.
Residents whose houses back up to the facility say they had to make split decisions to evacuate because the wind was blowing embers their way, causing the siding to melt on their homes.
This is not the first fire the public works building has had. In the last two years, there have been four fires at the location.
No one was inside the garage at the time, and no one was injured.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
