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Published in the Star-Ledger, Thursday, January 25, 2007
Fires rout 48 families in Elizabeth, Plainfield
Third blaze destroys Charlie Brown's Steakhouse in Scotch Plains
BY CARLY ROTHMAN
Star-Ledger Staff
Three separate fires early yesterday morning displaced at least 39 families in Elizabeth and nine in Plainfield, while a third consumed a popular Scotch Plains steakhouse.
In Elizabeth, fire raged through three units of a Cherry Street apartment building around 7:30 a.m., forcing the evacuation of 36 other units and causing all utilities to the building to be shut down, said city spokesman Bill Reyes.
Two residents were being treated at area hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries, and one firefighter was also injured but stayed on duty, Reyes said. The fire was brought under control by 8:15 a.m.
PLAINFIELD
In Plainfield, firefighters and squads from several communities took two hours to control a second 7:30 a.m. blaze in a three-story, 10-unit apartment building on Park Avenue, said Plainfield Fire Chief Cecil Allen. An adult and three children were rescued after making their way up to the roof of the century-old, red-brick building, Allen said.
Tenants had previously complained about a lack of heat, electrical problems and needed repairs. The fire remains under investigation.
The blaze at the Charlie Brown's Steakhouse on North Ave nue in Scotch Plains was discovered shortly before 4 a.m. by two workmen repairing tiles in the central bar area, who smelled smoke coming from a nearby wall.
The fire traveled quickly through the walls, consuming the ceiling and causing the roof to collapse. Eight units responded, bringing the fire under control around 7:30 a.m.
One Scotch Plains firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation and a second for injuries to his shoulder suffered when he slipped on a patch of ice.
The apparently unrelated blazes resulted in homelessness for dozens of families.
"We don't know what we're going to do," said Karina Chipantiza of Plainfield.
The Plainfield fire appeared to be electrical in origin. Seventy-five-year-old Plainfield resident Beatrice Moore turned on her television about 7:30 a.m. yesterday and saw sparks fly out of the electrical outlet.
"I saw the sparks coming from the wall and proceeded to get my family out of the apartment," said her daughter-in-law, Christine Moore, who shares the third-floor apartment on Park Avenue.
The fire quickly spread to five other apartments in the 100-year-old building, forcing the building's 37 residents to flee.
Firefighters rescued a man and three children stranded on the roof and tossed debris from the burned- out second-floor apartment windows, including some blackened photos and a strong box belonging to the Moores.
Chipantiza and her sister, Maria, who also lives in the building, were both taken to the Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center for minor injuries caused by smoke inhalation.
Karina Chipantiza was released by early afternoon and joined her neighbors at the Plainfield Senior Citizen Center, where officials from the local American Red Cross chapter were helping the displaced residents.
Alan Karmin of the Red Cross said five of the nine displaced families will be staying with friends or family, and four will stay at a Howard Johnson's motel in North Plainfield.
ELIZABETH
At least eight Elizabeth families are also taking shelter in area hotels, after a fire ravaged one apartment and caused extensive smoke damage to several others.
The fire, which began around 7:30 a.m. and was brought under control by 8:15 a.m., forced all residents of the 39-unit building to evacuate temporarily.
Two residents were taken to area hospitals for minor injuries, and one firefighter was also injured but stayed on duty, said city spokesman Bill Reyes.
"With some assistance and some elbow grease, we're getting everything together," said Andrew Asinko, who owns the building on Cherry Street.
He added he had evicted the resident of unit that caught fire on Tuesday.
"Cleaning up the place is going to be significant," he said, but expressed his relief that no one was seriously injured. "It could have been a lot worse."
This feeling was echoed in Plainfield yesterday, as families regrouped after the fire.
"I'm grateful that my sister is home and safe," said Christine Moore's sister, Anita Hunter, as the two waited at the senior center yesterday afternoon.
Karina Chipantiza and other residents said previous complaints about poor heat, electrical problems and other needed repairs have gone unheeded by the building's owners. Third-floor resident Yolene Auguste said the building has been cited for violations, and often goes without heat and hot water.
Owner Robert Mercadante of Dante Management denied these claims.
"I've been refurbishing the exterior of the building," he said. "Generally speaking, the building is in solid condition."
The Charlie Brown's in Scotch Plains underwent about $500,000 in renovations about two years ago, when a large extension was added onto the east end.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation. In the mean time, the restaurant's 45 employees will be reassigned to nearby branches of the franchise, said the company's senior vice president, Craig Godfrey.
"We will find something for everyone," he said.
Alexi Friedman contributed to this report. Carly Rothman may be reached at crothman@starled ger.com or (908) 302-1504.
Link to online story.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
Showing posts with label Fires. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fires. Show all posts
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Basement Apartment - Courier - Johnston Avenue Fire
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Published in the Courier News, Monday, January 8, 2007
House fire leaves 13 homeless in Plainfield
By CELANIE POLANICK
Staff Writer
PLAINFIELD -- More than a dozen people were left homeless Sunday afternoon from one of two fires in the city, officials said.
No injuries were reported from either blaze, both of which appear to have started in basements, fire officials said.
Ten adults and three children were displaced by the first fire, a two-alarm blaze in the basement of a four-apartment house at 129 Johnston Ave., officials said.
The blaze caused heavy fire damage and flooded both the upstairs and downstairs apartments with smoke, Plainfield Fire Battalion Chief Broderick Fleming said. The smoke damage in the other half of the building, housing the upstairs and basement apartments, wasn't as severe, he said.
Plainfield and North Plainfield firefighters were called to the scene at 1:14 p.m.
All four apartments are considered uninhabitable until further notice, Fleming said.
Red Cross representative Victor Webb Jr. was at the scene to offer shelter and aid to the building's residents.
The fire's cause is under investigation, Fleming said.
"Some individuals took some smoke, and we administered some oxygen, but nobody went to the hospital, as far as we can tell," Fleming said.
Talia Harris, who lives in apartment 127 upstairs, said she left through the building's front door with her mother, Mary Harris; her sister, Monique Harris; and two children, her 17-month-old son, Tylir Clary, and her 10-year-old daughter, Tamira Harris.
Mary Harris recalled the smoke: "We just saw smoke everywhere, and somebody was yelling, 'Get out, get out."
Shona Douglas, who lives in apartment 129 upstairs, left through the back door with her 9-month-old son, Jahmaad Bradley.
Leon Armstrong said he came back from the store to find his neighbors and fire officials on the street, in front of his apartment on the first floor of 129.
When the fire started, Sarah Jones was asleep in her apartment on the first floor of apartment 127, and her grandson Abdus Jones, 16, was in the bathroom, said her daughter, Yolanda Jones, who lives elsewhere but came to the scene to see to her family.
Everyone made it out of the building safely, the residents said.
The second fire later Sunday afternoon occurred in the basement of a single-family house at 355 Emerson Ave. and caused minor smoke damage to the basement, Fleming said.
That fire appears to have started at about 3:44 p.m. in an electric dryer, and was contained in the laundry room area within 20 minutes, Fleming said.
No injuries were reported, but the family lost their dryer and several basement windows, which were broken so firefighters could ventilate the area and control smoke damage, Fleming said.
Power to the basement was turned off, but the family was allowed to go back inside soon after the fire was extinguished, Fleming said.
Celanie Polanick can be reached at (908) 707-3137 or at cpolanick@c-n.com
Link to online story.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
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Published in the Courier News, Monday, January 8, 2007
House fire leaves 13 homeless in Plainfield
By CELANIE POLANICK
Staff Writer
PLAINFIELD -- More than a dozen people were left homeless Sunday afternoon from one of two fires in the city, officials said.
No injuries were reported from either blaze, both of which appear to have started in basements, fire officials said.
Ten adults and three children were displaced by the first fire, a two-alarm blaze in the basement of a four-apartment house at 129 Johnston Ave., officials said.
The blaze caused heavy fire damage and flooded both the upstairs and downstairs apartments with smoke, Plainfield Fire Battalion Chief Broderick Fleming said. The smoke damage in the other half of the building, housing the upstairs and basement apartments, wasn't as severe, he said.
Plainfield and North Plainfield firefighters were called to the scene at 1:14 p.m.
All four apartments are considered uninhabitable until further notice, Fleming said.
Red Cross representative Victor Webb Jr. was at the scene to offer shelter and aid to the building's residents.
The fire's cause is under investigation, Fleming said.
"Some individuals took some smoke, and we administered some oxygen, but nobody went to the hospital, as far as we can tell," Fleming said.
Talia Harris, who lives in apartment 127 upstairs, said she left through the building's front door with her mother, Mary Harris; her sister, Monique Harris; and two children, her 17-month-old son, Tylir Clary, and her 10-year-old daughter, Tamira Harris.
Mary Harris recalled the smoke: "We just saw smoke everywhere, and somebody was yelling, 'Get out, get out."
Shona Douglas, who lives in apartment 129 upstairs, left through the back door with her 9-month-old son, Jahmaad Bradley.
Leon Armstrong said he came back from the store to find his neighbors and fire officials on the street, in front of his apartment on the first floor of 129.
When the fire started, Sarah Jones was asleep in her apartment on the first floor of apartment 127, and her grandson Abdus Jones, 16, was in the bathroom, said her daughter, Yolanda Jones, who lives elsewhere but came to the scene to see to her family.
Everyone made it out of the building safely, the residents said.
The second fire later Sunday afternoon occurred in the basement of a single-family house at 355 Emerson Ave. and caused minor smoke damage to the basement, Fleming said.
That fire appears to have started at about 3:44 p.m. in an electric dryer, and was contained in the laundry room area within 20 minutes, Fleming said.
No injuries were reported, but the family lost their dryer and several basement windows, which were broken so firefighters could ventilate the area and control smoke damage, Fleming said.
Power to the basement was turned off, but the family was allowed to go back inside soon after the fire was extinguished, Fleming said.
Celanie Polanick can be reached at (908) 707-3137 or at cpolanick@c-n.com
Link to online story.
(Note: Online stories may be taken down by their publisher after a period of time or made available for a fee. Links posted here is from the original online publication of this piece.)
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff and Clippings have no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of these articles nor are Plainfield Today, Plainfield Stuff or Clippings endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
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