A massive plume of smoke was seen near Manhattan and Jersey City area on Sunday. Locals posted photos on social media, warning others about a fire in New York City. The FDNY is yet to make an official statement.
“Bad fire in Belleville NJ which us just west of Manhattan,” one local posted on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
Belleville fire update
This comes after fast-moving commercial fire in Belleville continued to intensify Sunday night after emergency crews upgraded the incident to a ninth alarm. The fire erupted at a warehouse property on Cortlandt Street between Holmes Street and Joralemon Street, sending massive black smoke clouds across neighboring communities in Essex County.
As flames tore through the two-story brick commercial structure, firefighters were reportedly ordered away from portions of the building due to fears of an imminent collapse.
Ladder truck crews were evacuated while officials shifted into defensive firefighting operations as flames pushed through the roof and spread toward nearby buildings. Emergency responders also encountered water supply problems during the height of the operation, further complicating containment efforts.
Authorities later established a collapse zone around the warehouse and warned all personnel to remain clear of dangerous sections of the structure.
Smoke spreads across surrounding New Jersey towns
The fire generated smoke visible across multiple parts of northern New Jersey, with residents reporting haze and smoke odors miles away from the scene.
Officials in neighboring communities, including Lyndhurst and North Arlington, urged residents to shut windows and remain indoors because of air quality concerns.
Belleville Mayor Michael Melham declared a state of emergency as multiple agencies from across Essex County converged on the scene to assist.
“Due to strong winds, the fire has spread to multiple warehouses and has caused additional structure fires several blocks away,” Melham posted during the emergency response.
The mayor also warned residents to avoid the area while emergency crews continued operations.
“This is an active emergency, residents and pedestrians need to stay clear,” Melham wrote.
Officials ask public to avoid Cortlandt Street area
Belleville Councilman Frank Velez III also issued a public warning as crews battled the expanding blaze.
“First responders are currently on scene at a large fire on Cortlandt Street between Holmes and Joralemon, including mutual aid from neighboring communities,” Velez wrote on Facebook.
He added, “Please avoid the area and allow our first responders to safely manage the situation.”
NBC New York reported the blaze was burning through a warehouse complex near Joralemon Street while police agencies monitored drifting smoke conditions.
Fire reportedly spread to nearby structures
According to multiple local reports, embers from the main warehouse fire may have ignited secondary fires blocks away from the original scene. Some emergency updates identified an additional fire on Stephens Street believed to have been caused by airborne embers.
Fire departments from Newark, Nutley, North Caldwell, and several other surrounding municipalities joined the response effort as the situation escalated through multiple alarm levels.
As of the latest updates, no major civilian injuries had been officially confirmed, though emergency operations remained active late into the night.
