A massive fire at a flooring manufacturing warehouse in New Jersey rained ash onto nearby homes Thursday night, prompting ongoing concerns about air quality in the area even after the flames were extinguished.
No one was hurt when the fire broke out at Crossfield Products on Valley Road in Roselle Park shortly before 5 p.m. It quickly escalated to five alarms, drawing nearby town and county units to the firefighting effort.
Fire shot high above the roof of the two-story warehouse. Neighbor Ray Sharrieff said the flames were intense within a matter of minutes, and he described hearing two or three explosions.
“It looked like the embers were landing on the houses,” Sharrieff said. “Just flying flames, that’s what it looked like. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
Rubi Santiago lives across the street from Crossfield Products, which on its website describes itself as “a leading manufacturer of a variety of construction coating, overlay, and fluid-applied flooring materials.”
Neighbors were warned about heavy smoke in the area and urged to keep their doors and windows closed into Friday. Others had to leave as the fire raged Thursday night.
Santiago says she was forced out into the frigid cold, as thick smoke smothered the neighborhood.
“You couldn’t really see more than 10 feet in front of you,” Santiago said.
Nick Rajoppi, who also lives in the neighborhood, said the burning chemicals
The fire was under control late Thursday. Crews were awaiting heavy equipment so they could safely address the remnants of the warehouse. The fire did not spread to any other buildings.