At 8:10 a.m., firefighters responded to a fire in the basement at 76 Barbara St., an occupied 3-story building, Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé said. A 2nd alarm was called, requesting additional firefighters to the scene to help stop the spread of a fire to an adjacent building, Fragé said.
A firefighter sustained a leg and ankle injury after a staircase collapsed, Fragé said. Another firefighter sustained cuts to his arm, Fragé said. Both firefighters were hospitalized in stable condition, Fragé said.
Two other firefighters were treated for exhaustion at the scene, Fragé said. The fire was declared under control at 8:55 p.m., Fragé said. The blaze displaced 24 residents, 19 adults and five children, who have been relocated, Fragé said.
The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation by the Newark Department of Public Safety’s Arson Unit, Fragé said.
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