A massive fire has been raging for over eight hours at a mattress warehouse on Cortlandt Street in Belleville, New Jersey, producing heavy, dark smoke visible for miles.
Officials have declared a state of emergency in Belleville as the incident escalated to a nine-alarm fire, involving multiple warehouse properties and requiring extensive mutual aid from surrounding areas.
All public schools in Belleville will be closed on Monday due to the “ongoing fire in our community and its effect on local services,” School superintendent Erick Alfonso announced on Sunday.
Crews are facing water supply issues, further complicating firefighting efforts, and authorities continue to urge the public to avoid the area as emergency operations remain underway.
