Somerset Street Warehouse Ravaged by Fire

A three-alarm blaze ripped through a Somerset Street warehouse on Wednesday night, causing most of the building to collapse.

According to New Brunswick Fire Department Director Robert Rawls, the call came in around 10:45 p.m. Wednesday night. Upon arrival, heavy smoke could be seen seeping out of all windows in the building, shortly giving way to heavy flames, he said.

Deputy Chief Tom LoPardo said the fire departments on scene were never able to fight the blaze from inside, due to its intensity. Around 1 a.m., trucks were still spraying water from high above the building onto the warped and collapsed roof of the structure.

LoPardo said the one-story warehouse is a commercial building where silk and paper flowers are manufactured. The front of the building contained offices while the manufacturing was done in the back, he said.

A sign on the front of the building read "Ding & A Trading Corp."

Nobody was in the building at the time of the fire, LoPardo said.

Companies from East Bruswick, Edison, Sayreville, East Franklin, North Brunswick and Highland Park assisted with the fire.

Two firefighter injuries were reported, LoPardo said: one firefighter from Franklin suffered heat exhaustion and a New Brunswick firefighter suffered a  leg injury that was not severe.

LoPardo said the building will be examined on Thursday to determine whether it needs to be demolished.