Jersey City firefighters keep fire confined to kitchen 20 floors up in Downtown high-rise

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

A two-alarm fire caused heavy damage to the kitchen of a high-rise apartment in Downtown Jersey City Saturday afternoon, fire officials said.

Firefighters were called to a 20th-floor apartment at Paulus Hook Towers, 100 Montgomery St., at 5:23 p.m. on New Year's Day, Fire Director Armando Roman said.

A second alarm was transmitted as a precaution because it was in a high-rise, he said.

Firefighters controlled the fire before it spread beyond the kitchen, and the last fire engine left the scene at 8:03 p.m., he said.

No injuries were reported and no one was in the apartment at the time, officials said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Roman said.

CHARLES HACK