Bayonne fire displaces over a dozen people, forces day care to evacuate

BAYONNE, N.J. — A fire in Bayonne displaced several families and caused a day care to evacuate Friday.
The fire started at a building on Avenue C near West 20th Street just before noon. Cellphone video shows heavy smoke pouring into the sky above.
According to the fire chief, the flames spread to neighboring buildings, and it took crews two hours to get the five-alarm fire under control.
“Our arriving units found heavy fire on arrival, and the fire also extended to the buildings on both sides … Due to the heavy fire, it became a defensive operation,” said Bayonne Fire Chief Keith Weaver.
Fire officials say 16 people have no place to call home as their buildings are being evaluated for demolition. Of those displaced, authorities say there are five children.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The day care “Smile of a Child” is next to the building that caught fire.
Bayonne resident Valerie Maita says she helped the staff safely remove around 30 babies, taking them into a nearby bank.
“Screaming, crying, it was very chaotic,” she said. “I ran over and I started helping them get the kids out, all the babies, into the bank … Holding the kids, calming them down, playing Elmo for them.”
The children were reunited with their families as fire crews worked to extinguish the fire.
“I saw there was a lot of smoke. At first I thought it was a little, small fire, but it kept going for at least half an hour, 45 minutes,” Bayonne resident Mario Flores said.
Fire officials say Bayonne City Councilman Loyad Booker, who is also a retired police officer, helped out. He was driving by when he saw the emergency, stopped and helped take the kids to safety.