Jersey City Kitchen Fire

A cooking fire in an unattended kitchen tore through the second story of a Jersey City home on Pamrapo Avenue on the afternoon of Saturday, July 6th, displacing five and injuring a firefighter. After nearly three hours of battling the flames in 90 degree weather, firefighters were able to subdue the blaze. Thanks to the first responders’ heroic actions tirelessly working to prevent the fire from spreading, no residents were hurt despite heavy damage to the first and second floors.

Fortunately, the firefighter’s injuries are not life threatening, but the property lost in this blaze and the time it will take for these families to recoup makes this a sad reminder of how vulnerable homes and their residents are to the ravages of fire.  Bill A1570 passed in the New Jersey Assembly in January, and the recently introduced Senate bill 2273, would make it mandatory for all newly constructed one and two-family homes as well as condominiums and townhomes to be equipped with fire sprinklers.  This legislation would help to reduce the devastating effects of fires like this one, and help protect New Jersey residents in the places where they should feel safest -- their homes. 

Working smoke detectors and properly installed and maintained fire sprinklers are the only proactive forms of fire protection, mitigating the risk to individuals affected by the blaze, including both occupants of the home and the firefighters who respond to battle the fire.

David Kurasz, Executive Director

New Jersey Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board