FFs from 20 Companies Battle Massive 5-Alarm NJ Blaze

Dec. 26, 2019
Fire companies from Bergen County and Rockland County in New York responded to the blaze at a commercial building in Mahwah on Christmas.

Firefighters battled a five-alarm blaze at a commercial building in Mahwah shortly before 5 a.m. Christmas Day, working for hours to get it under control, officials said.

The fire occurred at the Arzee Building Supply Center at 37 Franklin Turnpike, Mahwah Police Chief Stephen Jaffe said. All five Mahwah fire department companies, township police and firefighters from mutual aid support from Rockland County in New York responded to the call, officials said.

Arzee Building Supply Center sells residential and commercial roofing, waterproofing and siding supplies.

No fatalities or injuries were reported, Mahwah PBA Local 143 wrote on Facebook as firefighters continued to battle the blaze Wednesday. The building itself suffered a partial roof collapse.

“While most of us slept safely in our warm beds Mahwah's bravest, finest and most caring first responders, along with many of their colleagues from surrounding towns in Rockland and Bergen counties were fighting a large commercial fire,” the police union wrote.

It was unclear Wednesday afternoon if the fire was under control. Mahwah Fire Company No. 3 around noon said units were still operating at the scene.

In an indication of the volume of water that was poured on the fire, the township later in the day sent an alert to residents warning them that brown water would be present in the area of Franklin Turnpike for several hours due to the fire.

Twenty different fire companies from Bergen County and Rockland County in New York responded to the scene.

The Bergen County Hazmat and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection were on scene monitoring the situation since the Arzee Building Supply property being adjacent to the Mahwah River, police said.

The fire is still under investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutors Office and the Mahwah Police Department Investigative Bureau.

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©2019 NJ Advance Media Group, Edison, N.J.

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