By: Richard L. Smith
Fire officials in Paterson are investigating the cause of an early morning blaze that destroyed several buildings on Friday.
Heavy fire broke out around 2:30 a.m. in the 70s block of North 7th Street, quickly spreading through multiple homes.
Crews arrived to find heavy fire engulfing a two-story house and rapidly spreading to an adjacent property.
Fire officials immediately struck a second alarm as firefighters stretched several lines to combat the flames.
After confirming that a resident and a dog had safely escaped without serious injuries, firefighters were forced to battle the fire externally due to its intensity.
About 30 minutes into the firefight, a third alarm was called as the flames spread to a third house.
As of 4:35 a.m., crews were still working to bring the fire under control.
No injuries have been reported, but firefighters are continuing to search the affected buildings for possible victims.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
UPDATE 7:17 am : This is being reported as a fatal fire with at least one dead.