Nevin St. blaze still a mystery
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
By KEENAN STEINER
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

The cause of Sunday's three-alarm blaze, which left a 72-year-old woman in critical condition after she ran back into the burning building to retrieve money, is still unknown, Jersey City Fire Department officials said yesterday.

Initial reports said a stove explosion was the cause of the fire at 10 Nevin St. Resident Gila Santos told her neighbor, Tony Perez, that the oven had "blown up in her face," Perez said Sunday.

But because Santos is in critical condition - she is sedated - and because the building where she lived is almost completely gone, the Arson Unit of the JCFD has not yet been able to determine the cause of the blaze, Fire Chief William Sinnott said.

The fire, which also damaged two other homes, is not considered suspicious, Sinnott added.

Sinnott said that Santos had escaped the fire unscathed, but raced back into the blaze to get $5,200 in cash.

Santos is being treated at the Burn Center at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston. She suffered burns to her face, neck, throat and arms, authorities said.

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Woman who went back into inferno for cash still critical
by Keenan Steiner
Monday August 13, 2007, 7:06 PM

The 72-year-old Jersey City woman who is believed to have been severely injured because she went back into her burning home to get $5,200 in cash remains in critical condition today, officials told The Jersey Journal.

Gila Santos is sedated and being treated for burns to her face, neck, throat and arms at the Burn Center at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, according to Fire Chief William Sinnott.

The cause of yesterday's three-alarm blaze, which almost destroyed her Nevins Street home and affected neighboring buildings, is still unknown, Sinnott said.

The fire, which also damaged two other homes, is not considered suspicious, Sinnott said, adding that Santos had escaped the fire unscathed, but raced back for the cash.

Neighbors, including a couple who smelled smoke and escaped with their two dogs, described the scene in today's Jersey Journal.

"She was really badly burned," Eleanor O'Malley said. "I ask people to pray for this woman, she's a nice woman."

3-alarmer leaves woman in critical condition

Monday, August 13, 2007
By CHARLES HACK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A three-alarm fire ripped through a two-story home in Jersey City yesterday and spread to two neighboring homes before firefighters could put it out.

One woman was taken to St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston with burns to her face, neck, throat and arms, authorities said. She was listed in critical condition last night.

Three firefighters also were treated for smoke inhalation - two at the scene and a third at the Jersey City Medical Center. All three were able to return to duty, officials said.

The fire began at 10 Nevins St. and jumped to the neighboring building, 12 Nevins St., before firefighters arrived around 3:05 p.m., just two minutes after the first call was received a 3:03. The fire was under control at 7:07 p.m., Director of Fire and Emergency Services Armando Roman said.

Both houses were heavily damaged before firefighters could get the persistent blaze under control. Firefighters said 10 Nevins St. is in danger of collapse and firefighters remained on the scene last night to watch the building. A third house, 14 Nevins St., maintained facade damage but nothing internal.

Roman said the 72-year-old victim, who neighbors identified as Gila Santos, got out of the house "then went back in to get an undisclosed amount of money and may have sustained further injury by going back into the house."

Despite the burns, she was able to flee from the home. Neighbors then put her in a chair and carried her down the street to the corner of Storms Avenue, where an ambulance was arriving.

"The two-minute response time was paramount in the saving of this woman's life," Roman said. "That's a one-way street and the firefighters did a wonderful job of navigating the apparatus in front of the building."

In all, about 75 men from 20 different companies responded to the call, Roman said. The Red Cross said 13 people were displaced by the fire and found shelter with relatives last night. Eleven people, including five children, lived at 10 Nevins St.; two people were from 12 Nevins St.

Ira Wallach, who lives at 12 Nevins St., said he'd just returned from New York City when his wife, Eleanor O'Malley, told him she smelled something burning. He then saw smoke.

He said they called 911 and then grabbed their two dogs. "Then we did the smart thing - got out of the house," he said.

Neighbors said Tony Perez, who lives across the street, tried to run into the burning home to look for other victims but was forced back by the flames and smoke.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation last night. Perez said Santos told him that her oven had "blown up in her face."

"She was really badly burned," O'Malley said. "I ask people to pray for this woman, she's a nice woman."

Despite losing his home of 20 years, Wallach was thankful he and his wife were able to escape unharmed.

"It's only Sheetrock, nails and wood," he said of his home. "It can be put up again."

Woman injured in Jersey City fire
by Craig Garretson
Sunday August 12, 2007, 6:32 PM

A three-alarm fire destroyed two Jersey City homes this afternoon, sending a woman to the hospital with burns to her face and arms.

Three firefighters also were treated for smoke inhalation, and 13 people were left homeless by the blaze, which began about 3 p.m. in a building on Nevins Street, off Storms Avenue, and jumped to a neighboring building before firefighters could get it under control. The persistent fire was finally out around 6 p.m., firefighters said.

Investigators were still trying to determine the cause of the fire tonight, but a neighbor told The Jersey Journal that the burned woman told him that her oven "blew up in her face."

The woman was the burn unit at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston. Her condition wasn't available.

Big fire in Jersey City
ON NJO.COM
Sunday August 12, 2007, 3:48 PM

UPDATE (4:15 p.m.): One woman was rescued with burns as firefighters remain on the scene of a three-alarm fire on Nevins Street off Storms Avenue in Jersey City.

The fire was reported just after 3 p.m. today. It began in one building and spread to a second building, firefighters said. The fire in the second building is out, but they're still battling the blaze in the first building.

A woman was rescued from the original fire building with burns to her face, arms and neck. No information on her condition is available at this time. No injuries were reported to firefighters, but they are still at the scene trying to put out the blaze.

There was a host of black smoke pouring out of somewhere around McGinley Square/ St Peters about 3:15pm ( from my downtown vantage point).
It looks like it is abated, just white smoke not as high and not as heavy.

Anyone know what happened?