Several businesses were destroyed on Sept. 1, after a raging fire ripped through the Village Plaza Shopping Center on South Ave in Westfield.
Firefighters responded to the four-alarm blaze at 11:24 a.m. after a neighbor heard the fire alarms sounding and noticed smoke coming from the building. Upon arrival, firefighters found heavy smoke showing from three storefronts and upon further investigation discovered flames coming from the rear of one store. A water supply was established and exterior handlines were deployed to set up a defensive attack as the smoke and fire was too intense to make entry into the building.
Westfield and Cranford crews set up their ladder trucks immediately to battle the heavy flames that were showing through the roof.
Not long into the incident an explosion occurred sending a fireball through the roof and forceful smoke through the front of the building out to the street, shattering windows and knocking firefighters to the ground.
Two elevated master streams and several exterior handlines were utilized to bring the fire under control in just under two hours.
Three businesses were able to be saved with the help of a firewall that divided the building in half. The businesses spared fire damage sustained minor smoke and water damage and will reopen shortly. None of the stores were open or occupied due to the Labor Day holiday weekend.
There were no civilian injuries reported at the scene, but several firefighters suffered non-life threatening injuries including heat exhaustion and received medical attention at the scene. Two firefighters were transported to the hospital with minor injuries and were treated and later released.
This building is no stranger to fire as it suffered significant damage from a previous fire that occurred almost 21 years ago to the day on September 18, 1993.
Mutual aid fire departments from Union County responded to the scene to assist including Cranford, Springfield, Roselle, Scotch Plains, Union, Rahway, Linden, and Summit.
The fire appears to have started in the rear of the building according to fire officials, but a cause has not yet been determined.
