By: Richard L. Smith
Over three dozen firefighters are battling a massive fire that broke out in a mixed-use building in Paterson overnight.
The fire, which started around midnight at 195 Broadway, has severely damaged the structure that, includes apartments on the upper floors and businesses on the ground floor.
Upon arrival, firefighting crews faced flames tearing through the building.
They quickly deployed up to five hoses in an effort to control the blaze, which escalated to seven alarms for manpower as the fire spread rapidly to the lower business establishments, including a fried chicken restaurant and a smoke shop, among two others.
By 2:30 a.m., intense efforts were still underway as firefighters poured water on the blazing flames that continued to rip through the roof, leading to a roof collapse.
Despite the ferocious nature of the fire, which is expected to result in a total loss of the building, no severe injuries have been reported as of 4 a.m.
The American Red Cross has arrived to assist over a dozen residents affected by the fire.
Paterson fire officials are actively investigating the cause of the blaze, which is still ongoing. We will provide further updates as they become available.
