JERSEY CITY, NJ —
June 21, 2026 |
By DailyHudson Staff
One victim airlifted to burn unit; firefighter also injured in three-alarm blaze.
It was a quiet Friday morning on Monticello Avenue when smoke started pouring from a boarded-up bank at the corner of Brinkerhoff Street. By the time firefighters arrived, flames were already shooting through the roof of the abandoned building. What followed was a three-alarm fire that sent three people to the hospital — two of them with severe burns so serious that one had to be flown by helicopter to a specialized burn unit.
The injured include two civilians who were pulled from the building and a firefighter who was hurt while battling the blaze. Officials haven’t released their names or conditions yet, but the severity of the burns suggests a long recovery ahead.
What happened
The fire broke out around 10:30 a.m. at the old bank building at Monticello Avenue and Brinkerhoff Street in the Greenville section of Jersey City. The building has been vacant for years, its windows covered with plywood and its doors chained shut. Neighbors say they’ve seen people going in and out of the building despite the obvious dangers.
Firefighters responded to the scene and found heavy fire throughout the structure. They quickly called a second alarm, then a third, bringing in more than 40 firefighters from across the city. The fire was brought under control in about two hours, but not before the building suffered extensive damage.
Two people inside the building suffered severe burns. One was airlifted by a medical helicopter to a burn center in Pennsylvania. The other was taken by ambulance to Jersey City Medical Center. A firefighter was also treated for minor injuries and later released.
How we got here
The building at Monticello and Brinkerhoff was once a busy bank branch. But like many older commercial properties in Hudson County, it fell into disuse after the 2008 recession. The bank closed, the building went up for sale, and it never sold. Trees grew through cracks in the parking lot. The graffiti came and went.
Abandoned buildings are a persistent issue in Jersey City. The city has a list of vacant properties, but enforcement is uneven, and some buildings sit empty for years. Fire officials have long warned that these structures pose a serious safety risk — not just to the people who might squat inside, but to firefighters and neighbors who live nearby.
“These old buildings burn fast and hot,” Deputy Fire Chief John Duffy told reporters at the scene. “They’re a tinderbox. It’s a miracle more people weren’t hurt.”
What it means for Hudson County
For residents on Brinkerhoff Street, Friday morning was a terrifying reminder that abandoned buildings aren’t just eyesores. They’re fire hazards. They attract squatters. And when something goes wrong, the whole neighborhood pays the price.
Families on the block were evacuated from their homes while firefighters worked. Some stood outside for hours, watching their own property line go up in smoke. “I was getting my kids ready for school when I heard the sirens,” said Maria Torres, a mother of two who lives three doors down from the bank. “Then I saw the smoke and I ran. I didn’t even grab their backpacks.”
The fire also raised questions about what can be done with the city’s many abandoned buildings. The city council has discussed creating a vacant property registry and expediting demolition for the worst offenders. But progress has been slow.
What people are saying
Mayor Steven Fulop said the city is investigating the fire and will look into whether the building owner can be held accountable. “This is unacceptable,” Fulop said in a statement. “We will be pursuing every legal avenue to address these dangerous structures.”
Fire officials are asking anyone who knows how the fire started to come forward. The cause is still under investigation, but foul play has not been ruled out.
What comes next
The burned building will remain sealed off for at least the next week while investigators comb through the debris. The city’s building department will assess whether the structure can be saved or whether it needs to be demolished. Residents with questions about safety inspections or vacant property concerns can contact the city’s code enforcement office at (201) 547-5100.
For now, the two victims are fighting for their lives. One in a burn unit far from home. The other in a local hospital. Their families are waiting. And the neighborhood is left wondering if anything will change before another abandoned building goes up in flames.
Source: Jersey City Times