The Hawthorne Fire Department was called to Hawthorne Tire Center at 136 Goffle Road around 7:23 a.m. for a possible fire, the department said. Firefighters arrived to find heavy black smoke coming from the auto body shop inside the 2½-story residential and commercial building, officials said.
Crews initially tried to attack the fire from inside but were forced out by heavy fire conditions as other firefighters searched the apartments above, the department said. As flames rapidly spread through the building, additional alarms were called, bringing firefighters from departments across Passaic and Bergen counties to the scene.
Crews worked past noon to fully extinguish the fire and clean up fluids that spilled from the shop into the street, officials said.
Fire departments from Glen Rock, North Haledon, Fair Lawn, Haledon, Prospect Park, Ridgewood, Paterson, Wyckoff, Midland Park, Paramus, and Hackensack assisted at the scene. Clifton, Franklin Lakes, Wayne, and Waldwick covered Hawthorne during the fire.
No information on injuries or the cause of the fire was immediately provided.
Over the scanner, a Hawthorne fire chief at the scene was overheard saying the blaze could have been extinguished already if crews had foam available. New Jersey has been transitioning fire departments away from PFAS-containing AFFF, a type of foam designed to fight flammable-liquid fires, because of environmental and health concerns tied to the chemicals.
A GoFundMe was set up for one of the families that lives above the tire shop.
Anna Perricone writes: "My boyfriend, along with his parents and two younger brothers, lived above a tire shop in Hawthorne, NJ that caught on fire this morning. They were luckily woken up and told to exit the home, so they are okay, but all of their personal belongings along with everything in their house is completely ruined, as well as the home itself.
"They have lost so much and now have to start completely over. I’m asking for any help you can give to help my boyfriend and his family get back on their feet and cover some of the things they’ll need while they figure out their next steps.
"Anything helps, no matter how small, and if you aren’t able to donate, sharing this GoFundMe would mean just as much. Thank you! ❤️."
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