15 families displaced in Union City 5-alarm fire

UNION CITY (WABC) -- A 5-alarm fire tore through three buildings in Union City, New Jersey on Sunday night

The flames broke out inside a home near the intersection of Central Avenue and 10th Street, and left at least 15 families displaced.

Danielle Lopez and her son had to evacuate their apartment.

"The flames were really high from our window and we just ran outside with all our neighbors," said Lopez.

If it were not for Patrolman Frank Depinto and his partner, some residents may not have been able to escape the flames. They were doing routine patrols when they saw fire pouring out of a patio.

"In front of 618 10th street was just a wall of flames in the stairwell," Depinto said.

Without concern for themselves, the two ran in, at times they even had to kick in doors to get people to safety.

"In each building was at least two different apartments where we had to force the doors to get the people out," Depinto added.

Depinto says he heard fire alarms going off, but tells Eyewitness News that some residents did not know their building was on fire until they alerted them.

Chief Frank Montagne says that no residents were injured, but some firefighters suffered burns and fatigue - one firefighter fell down a flight of stairs, and had to be taken out of the building on a stretcher.

"We have 4 North Hudson firefighters injured, nothing life-threatening. We also have a Jersey City firefighter who actually fell down the stairs and hurt his back pretty bad. They were all transported to the hospital," says Chief Montagne.

Mayor Brian Stack tells Eyewitness News that fifteen families in the three buildings are displaced, and are being helped by the Red Cross at the Bruce D Walter Center.

"These are very poor families trying to make ends meet, so they have difficult time as it is, fire compounding the problem on top of that - thankfully no one was hurt or injured in this fire seriously," Mayor Stack said.

Mayor Stack tells Eyewitness News that the fire could have been worse since the buildings all have wood frames. He also confirmed that a Battalion Chief with the fire department owns two of the buildings.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.