Overview
- The blaze, which broke out Sunday afternoon at a mattress warehouse on Cortlandt Street, grew into a multi-alarm emergency that spread to nearby buildings.
- Belleville declared a state of emergency, ordered evacuations, and urged people to stay indoors with windows shut due to heavy smoke.
- Commanders pulled firefighters into defensive operations after establishing a collapse zone around the unstable structure.
- The response reached 11 alarms, drawing mutual-aid crews from Newark, Nutley, North Caldwell and other nearby towns.
- Low water pressure stalled hose lines, so officials requested tanker trucks as thick smoke drifted over Manhattan and nearby New Jersey communities.