Hillsborough warehouse fire could burn for days

There are conflicting reports as to whether the smoke is toxic; the EPA claims there is no toxicity whereas a published report early this morning said Somerset County officials did characterize the smoke as toxic.

The fire started around 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Veterans Industrial Park.

Schools in Hillsborough are closed, extending the President’s Day holiday weekend for students. They will reopen next week. The massive fire had burned for more than 15 hours by Friday morning. The fire was reported at 152 Route 206.

“I would hope to see significantly less smoke by this evening”, Fire Chief Chris Weniger said at a press briefing. In addition to blustery winds and chilling temperastures, fire marshals said inadequate sprinkler systems and outdated water supplies made their job harder as the fire peaked at seven alarms.

A warehouse fire in New Jersey shut down part of a major roadway as it raged through the night and continued to burn Friday morning, its thick plumes of black smoke visible from several surrounding counties. Just what sparked the blaze inside these warehouses storing furniture, records, and plastic pellets is still unknown, but crews were able to contain the flames to just two buildings. Strong winds fueled the blaze Thursday afternoon, and cold temperatures lead to problems with freezing water.

“Our main concern has been particulates because of the smoke leaving the site and we’re seeing those are coming down considerable as the fire is contained”, said Dr. Glen Belnay, the township’s health officer.