Firefighters put out blaze on warehouse roof
BAYONNE – City firefighters extinguished a rooftop fire at the Norton and Sons warehouse at 148 East Fifth St, on Thursday, March 19, a fire official said.
The Fire Department responded to a water-flow alarm at the site’s Building 2 a little after 9 p.m.
“Arriving companies discovered smoke coming from the warehouse that was formerly used for production and storage of paint products,” said Fire Chief Gregory Rogers.
Flames were discovered about 100 feet inside the warehouse at roof level and were also seen coming from the roof’s exterior, according to Rogers.
“Firefighters advanced fire hoses and safety guide ropes into the smoky depths of the warehouse, and also gained access to the roof to get control of the fire,” Rogers said.
One firefighter was injured. He received a mild electrical shock while using an electrical cord to activate equipment. He was examined by emergency medical services staff and returned to duty.
The blaze resulted in fire damage to a 15-foot by 15-foot area of the warehouse roof.
Since the former paint production operation was reportedly sold recently, there were only four 250-gallon totes of mineral spirits and a few 55-gallon drums of latex waste in the facility, and they were not affected by the fire, Rogers said.
The fire was declared under control at approximately 11 p.m.
The fire investigator’s preliminary investigation indicated that the fire originated near the roof, and arching electrical wiring was the probable fire cause, according to Rogers.