Emergency crews from multiple cities battled flames at a commercial building after an explosion was reported at the Englewood, New Jersey, business, officials said.
The blast occurred just after 8 a.m. at a one-story building on Bancker Street, according to fire officials. One nearby user tweeted that the explosion was so strong, it felt like a gust of wind hitting his office's windows. The fire quickly grew to five alarms, and wasn't under control by the nearly 200 firefighters at the scene until around 11 a.m.
Nearby roads were closed for hours after the blast, and started reopening around noon.
Plumes of thick, black smoke from the four-alarm incident covered the neighborhood and could be seen from midtown Manhattan, wafting toward New York City. Video from Chopper 4 showed at least four ladder trucks pouring water on the remnants of the completely gutted building, with a large pile of debris on at least one side.
The mayor of Englewood confirmed that the building was a storage facility for women's shoes, located in a largely commercial area with offices and warehouses. There were no reports of any injuries, according to the Englewood Fire Department. The cause of the explosion that led to the inferno is still under investigation.
