Just as firefighters rescued a grandmother and her granddaughter from the cold grip of a delivery van that struck them while they were crossing Broadway Monday evening, the Bayonne Fire Department hurried a half block away to put out a two-alarm fire at 604 Broadway that displaced four families.
The 46-year-old woman was crossing Broadway at 27th Street with her 7-year-old granddaughter at about 5:30 p.m. on Monday when they were struck and pinned under a delivery van. The van was turning onto Broadway with the green light, and the driver apparently did not see them as he turned onto Broadway.
“Just as they were getting them out from under the van, the report came about the fire a half block away.” – Fire Chief Greg Rogers
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The child reportedly suffered a bruise on her left arm. The grandmother suffered other injuries, although officials said none were considered life-threatening.
“Just as they were getting them out from under the van, the report came about the fire a half block away,” said Fire Chief Greg Rogers.
Rogers said the four apartments at 604 Broadway suffered smoke and water damage, while two apartments at 602 suffered light smoke damage
All seven residents in the four apartments at 604 Broadway were displaced.
“The occupants of one apartment sought shelter with Red Cross, while the remaining occupants sought shelter with family,” Rogers reported.
The residential units were on the upper floors of the building. The two stores on the ground floor – Tiffany Travel at 604, and Silver Express, a jewelry store, at 602 – may have suffered from water damage, Rogers said.
“Investigators determined that the fire originated in an airshaft between 602 and 604 Broadway, and the cause has yet to be determined,” he said. “The flames between the buildings were substantial, and were fed by the exterior vinyl siding and underlying asphalt shingle. Fire worked its way into the second and third floor apartments of 604 Broadway, and additionally damaged the exterior of both buildings.”
Rogers praised the members of the Fire Department.
“The firefighters did an excellent job rescuing a woman who was trapped underneath a vehicle, and then within minutes of the rescue, they extinguished a two-alarm fire that was just a half block away.” Rogers said. “Monday was a busy day, and included a smoke condition from unattended cooking, a dryer fire, and an overturned tractor-trailer.”