The 11-alarm fire has been contained, but is not yet under control at the Atlantic Fiber Company, which started just after midnight on Saturday.
Firefighters from more than 20 departments, including Rutherford, Paterson, Lodi and Wallington responded to the fire in the extremely cold night.
Officials say it may take days before the fire is extinguished, but the goal is to put it out before the oncoming winter storm.
The huge structure, which is filled with combustible materials, such as recycling paper and cardboard, collapsed on itself.
The factory recycles recyclable materials for single consumption, mainly paper – 30,000 to 40,000 tons per month, according to the company.
There are no signs that the flames are subsiding after authorities said several explosions from within could be heard and the building collapsed alone.
On one of the coldest days of the year, for relief purposes, firefighters are getting into ambulances to get warm.
Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said a fireman was taken to the hospital, while others are being treated on the spot for exhaustion and injuries from falls.
He also said that firefighters are drawing water from the river as an additional resource to fight the fire and may be there for days dealing with the fire.
Lora says he is grateful that the fire did not spread to a nearby chemical plant.
US Representative Bill Pascrell, from the 9th Congressional District of New Jersey, also shared his thoughts on the situation.
I am thinking this morning of our firefighters and first aid who fought in this hell last night in an intense cold and praying that they are well. Any federal resources #Passaic needs that we will seek. 🙏 https://t.co/tJ4DZx7MvF
– Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) January 30, 2021
The impacted area mainly houses factories and plants, not residential.
Atlantic Coast Fibers has 4 units in New Jersey. The company started over 80 years ago and has more than 200 employees.
Ironically, Sunday is the two-year anniversary of the fire at the Marçal paper mill. It was also a brutal fire on an extremely cold night.
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