A fire at a New Jersey senior housing facility Tuesday morning killed a female resident, hospitalized three others and left eight police officers injured.
Bayonne Fire Chief Keith Weaver said a 7:22 a.m. two-alarm fire sent firefighters scrambling to an 11-story high rise where a unit on the third floor went up in flames.
“Firefighters used two handlines to extinguish the blaze, which was declared under control at 8:17am,” Weaver reported on Facebook. “The fire progressed to two-alarms as extra manpower was needed for fire operations and to care for occupants of the building.”
Authorities said the occupant of the apartment where the fire originated died in a local hospital. Three Post Road Gardens residents and eight cops were hospitalized due to smoke inhalation. Four residents were reportedly treated on site and required no further care.
Photos posted to Facebook by the Bayonne Office of Emergency Management show police officers being treated by firefighters outside the apartment tower. Bayonne residents were advised to “avoid the area” when first responders arrived at the housing complex.
The cause of the blaze is being investigated by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, Bayonne Police and the City of Bayonne Fire Department.
The names and ages of the victims was not reported.
