Major fire engulfs industrial building in Elizabeth, NJ

Several fire trucks responded early Friday to a fire that engulfed a large industrial building in Elizabeth, N.J., a city official said, adding that no injuries were reported.

The call came in shortly after 5:30 a.m., Ruby Contreras, a public information officer for the city of Elizabeth, said by email.

She described the scene as a three-alarm fire, adding that a passerby first noticed the flames and reported it to authorities. “It is currently a heavy fire that is spreading, with part of the building having already collapsed,” Ms Contreras said.

Aerial footage of the fire showed a partial collapse of the building’s roof and thick, dark smoke billowing from the scene as the sun rose over the city. The fire brigade was busy extinguishing the flames from a distance.

A helicopter pilot for CBS News said on air that smoke from the fire blew toward Staten Island and did not affect air traffic at Newark Liberty Airport, a few miles away.

Ms Contreras said it was believed no one was in the building at the time of the fire.

The cause of the fire was not yet known.

This is a development story.