HOBOKEN—Four occupants of an apartment building on Garden Street were displaced by a two-alarm fire early this morning, according to Hoboken Fire Chief Richard Blohm.
The fire department responded an alarm from 843 Garden St. at 2:27 a.m. this morning, according to Blohm. The initial report from the battalion chief indicated that the fire began in a bathroom on the third floor, said Blohm, although the cause is not known and remains under investigation.
The four occupants were evacuated, along with those present in the adjoining rowhouses, he said. The neighbors were subsequently allowed to return home, although 841 Garden St. sustained minor damage and firemen had to force entry to its roof, according to Blohm.
The fire department cut a hole in the roof of 843 Garden St. to allow the smoke to escape, he said. As a result, he said, the fire department determined that the building’s residents must stay out for the time being.
Blohm said the residents were offered help from the Red Cross but declined, electing to stay with family or friends.
22 personnel responded to the fire, and mutual aid personnel from other municipalities manned Hoboken Fire station, said Blohm. The fire was extinguished and firemen cleared the scene by 4:59 a.m.