8-alarm fire destroys apartment building in North Jersey

PASSAIC, N.J. (WPVI) -- An eight-alarm fire burned through a five-story brick apartment building Wednesday night in New Jersey.

By Thursday morning, the fire was mostly brought under control, although firefighters were still on the scene.

The blaze quickly burned through the roof of the large Gregory Avenue apartment building in Passaic shortly after 8:45 p.m. Wednesday.

The flames started on the upper floors of the building in a wing overlooking the Broadway side and spread across a connecting area to a second wing. Portions of the roof have collapsed. The building houses 60 apartments.

Two firefighters suffered injuries. They were taken to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson. A portion of a ceiling fell on one, while another suffered burns to the neck.

The building was evacuated. None of the hundreds of residents evacuated were injured. Passaic officials estimated between 300 and 400 people lived in the building

The cause of the fire is undetermined.

The Red Cross set up a reception area for the displaced.