Firefighters Battle 'Suspicious' Blaze at Abandoned Building

The Cedar Grove Fire Department had its hands full last night at a "suspicious" fire in an abandoned building on the grounds of the old Essex County Hospital Center on Fairview Avenue, but despite treacherous obstacles and technical difficulties, were able to quickly knock it down without any injuries.

"There was not really a working hydrant system on the property, and since this building was basically right in the middle of the property, it was a little difficult navigating obstacles like sinkholes, missing manhole covers and overgrown trees," said Cedar Grove Fire Chief, John Bannon.

Bannon said the department had to stretch nearly 2,500 feet of hose because of the remote location of the building. The department called upon the assistance of Verona, North Caldwell, Little Falls and Montclair fire departments to beat back the flames before they reached the attic in the room above. Since all available Cedar Grove Firefighters were at the scene, the Caldwell and West Caldwell Fire Departments were on standby covering Cedar Grove during the fire.

The source of the blaze, which started around 6 p.m. Sunday, Bannon said, was furniture in the middle of the room, which he said set off clouds of thick black smoke as it burned. Bannon says the cause of the fire is under investigation, but that the department is calling it "suspicious."

"We were going to hook up to the old sprinkler system in the attic, but the fittings for the standpipe to connect the sprinklers were stolen, so we couldn't hook up to that. We had issues left and right."

Fighting fires at the abandoned buildings on the old Hospital Center property always comes with an added sense of urgency. Since the center's structure, most of which is over 100 years old, is almost entirely made of wood and almost entirely inter-connected, an out of control fire could spread between the buildings quickly.

Bannon said department policy is not to send firefighters inside abandoned buildings unless they know someone is inside.

"It would have been a complex scene if we had something major going. If if had been a full blown fire up there I'd probably still be there now."

At the scene, law enforcement officials were out in force, including the Essex County Arson Squad, Essex County Prosecutors Officers, Essex County Sheriff's Officers, and Essex County Police. The New Jersey Division of Fire Safety was also on hand.

Check back with Patch for more information as it becomes available.