Paterson firefighters tackle hazardous materials blaze and house fire on same shift

Photo by Paterson's Riverside Firehouse

Photo by Paterson's Riverside Firehouse

Photo by Paterson's Riverside Firehouse

Photo by Paterson's Riverside Firehouse

Photo by Paterson's Riverside Firehouse
PATERSON, N.J. (Sept. 13, 2025) — Paterson firefighters handled two major incidents Saturday, including a hazardous materials fire at an industrial site and a separate house fire across the city, officials said.
The first call came at East 16th Street and Putnam Avenue, where Riverside firehouse units found a metal container box emitting discolored smoke outside a vacant industrial property. Multiple labeled containers were nearby, prompting a full hazardous materials response.
Departments from Newark, Jersey City and Hackensack assisted while Paterson companies used master streams to contain the fire until the burning substance could be identified.
At the same time, other Paterson crews responded to Wabash Avenue for a structure fire. They arrived to find a heavily involved residential frame and quickly transmitted a second alarm.
Both incidents were brought under control without reports of injury.