The firefighter, identified by News12 as Keneyada Thompson noticed smoke coming out of an Orient Way building just before 7:45 a.m.
He called in the fire and immediately began evacuating residents in two buildings.
The blaze spread to adjacent buildings and, although no injuries were reported, many residents were left homeless.
Bruce Springsteen's son Sam Springsteen, who was sworn into the JCFD earlier this month, was among those who responded.
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