Crews were called to the 100 block of Main Street shortly before midnight Tuesday. Twenty companies responded from the surrounding areas.
[Ads /]
The warehouse, filled with auto parts and tires, collapsed in on itself after an intense fire raged for hours overnight.
"When I seen the flames, it was time to go," said resident John Bland.
The warehouse is located behind retail stores on Main Street and next to a Pleasantville Housing Authority senior high-rise, where residents were evacuated.
"They were knocking on all the doors and stuff, so I just went and got my cat," said resident Mahdi Carr.
Residents of the high-rise were able to return home around 2 a.m.
[Ads /]
"Sirens went off, speakerphones and all that, but luckily, we found out that the fire was on the side of the building, the next building over," Bland said.
The stores did not catch fire, but they suffered smoke damage. Firefighters worked to put out embers that landed on commercial property.
For those still displaced, a New Jersey Transit bus served as a warm place to wait and communicate with the Red Cross.
The extreme cold was a challenge for fire crews.
"The weather always plays a factor, in the cold condition, that's why we had so many companies. We had to rotate guys out because as we get wet in exterior firefighting, we start to ice up," Pleasantville Fire Chief Gene Wellington said.
[Ads /]
Two firefighters suffered minor injuries.
Firefighters helped residents out of a nearby apartment building using ladders because the main entrance was in the back near the burning warehouse.
The Red Cross is assisting 18 people that were displaced.
Responding fire departments included Absecon, Atlantic City, Brigantine, Egg Harbor City, Egg Harbor Township, Northfield and Somers Point.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.