Possible cause revealed in ‘12- to 14-alarm’ warehouse fire in leafy NJ town that left police without power: ‘Staring into hell’
A massive fire sparked by suspected welding work at a mattress factory in Belleville, New Jersey, burned for nearly 24 hours, causing widespread damage and disrupting local services. The blaze, described as a '12- to 14-alarm' fire, destroyed nearly an entire block and forced school closures due to damaged infrastructure. Authorities reported no fatalities, but the fire caused power outages, affected water pressure, and prompted air quality alerts in nearby areas.
- ▪The fire likely started due to welding at a mattress factory in Belleville, New Jersey.
- ▪Belleville's police department lost power, and 911 dispatch was temporarily moved to neighboring Nutley.
- ▪Schools in the district of over 5,000 students were closed due to damaged fiber optics and road closures.
- ▪Multiple blocks were affected, with flying embers burning homes several blocks away.
- ▪Between 40 and 50 fire departments responded, leading to reduced water pressure during firefighting efforts.
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Metro exclusive details Possible cause revealed in ‘12- to 14-alarm’ warehouse fire in leafy NJ town that left police without power: ‘Staring into hell’ By Kate Sheehy Published May 4, 2026, 12:53 p.m. ET A massive weekend inferno apparently sparked by welding in a mattress factory ravaged part of a leafy commuter town in North Jersey — wreaking havoc as its police department lost power and schools were forced to shut down Monday. “It was a perfect storm — we were staring into hell last night,’’ Belleville Mayor Michael Melham told The Post on Monday — as the “12- to 14-alarm’’ blaze in the Essex County town’s Valley section was finally contained but continued to burn just under 24 hours after it ignited. “It’s an absolute miracle we had no deaths,’’ the mayor said.
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