Tuesday, January 1, 2013
A five-alarm blaze collapsed part of a self-storage facility in
Linden and left one firefighter hurt early on New Year’s Day, officials
said.
The fire, which sparked sometime after 1 a.m. today, burned about 30
percent of the Uncle Bob’s Self Storage units on Allen Street, according
to Deputy Fire Chief John Traub.
Traub said the fire began in the center of the complex, and spread
easily through units that were lined with combustible materials,
including propane tanks and painting materials.
“You name it, it’s in there,” he said.
Firefighters gained control of the raging blaze around 6 a.m., but
were still dousing hot spots with water around 9 a.m., according to
Traub.
The fire department didn’t leave the scene until close to noon today,
officials said, and one firefighter suffered a shoulder injury while
battling the blaze.
At least 11 rescue agencies responded to the fire, according to
Traub, who said the aluminum and concrete compartments in the storage
units were not airtight — and provided a pathway for the fire to travel
across units.
“Once there’s fire, it goes across from one unit to the other,” he said.
The center of the complex suffered a partial collapse during the
blaze, according to Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Dooley, and several parts
of the building suffered heavy water, fire and smoke damage.
