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Fire in built environment Event icon
Event title

United States - Schools remain closed in Belleville, NJ as massive warehouse fire smolders

Event category

Fire - Fire in built environment

Severity

Low

Event date (UTC)

2026-05-05 21:20:56

Last update (UTC)

2026-05-05 21:20:57

Latitude

40.787362

Longitude

-74.15288

Area range

Local event

Address/Affected area(s)

Belleville, Essex County, New Jersey

Belleville Public Schools remained closed after an immense warehouse fire that began Sunday continues to smolder on Tuesday.
While what remains of the fire is under control, the burned area has been devastated, and there are concerns about chemicals released in the smoke and flames.
The colossal fire destroyed a city block and led to closures in the area as the mayor declared a state of emergency.
New surveillance video shows what appears to be the moment the fire started.
In the video, a man inside of the warehouse notices the flames. He runs over and tries to get it under control, but the fire starts rapidly spreading.
The fire spread from the mattress warehouse to a warehouse filled with cardboard on Sunday around 2:30 p.m.
Flames quickly shot up and were out of control within seconds.
The fire spread to another structure that was home to dozens of businesses and the mayor said it was a constant source of concern to town officials about possible code violations.
At its largest, the fire reached 12 to 14 alarms, according to the mayor, and two homes nearby also caught on fire.
As the cleanup work continues, the town has conducted air quality tests at schools.
The Red Cross is assisting those families.
If you're in the area, keep in mind there will be road closures.

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