Fair Lawn fire destroys businesses overnight in New Jersey

FAIR LAWN, N.J. -- A fire burned through a strip mall overnight in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, and severely damaged businesses.

The fire started inside the Green Dragon restaurant at the shopping complex on Fair Lawn Avenue near Chandler Drive at around 2:40 a.m. Friday, officials said.

Witness saw a "giant fireball"

Firefighters spent over three hours relentlessly attacking the inferno. Witnesses said the flames seemed unstoppable at times

"You could see, like, the flames kind of started going horizontally across the rooftop and then one by one there would just be like some big, giant fireball, even though they were spraying a ton of water on it," said Nati Burnside.

The owner of Zadies Kosher Bake Shop, among those who anxiously watched firefighters trying to save their business, said his head baker first noticed something wrong at the restaurant next door and called 911 at around 2:30 a.m.

"The bakery was getting hot and smoky"

"He felt hot. He felt like the bakery was getting hot and smoky. So he went outside and went to the back and saw that the Green Dragon was very smoky," said Josh Steinberg.

Firefighters tried entering through the rear of the restaurant, but the fire had spread too quickly and compromised the roof, which collapsed.

In total, 50 firefighters from multiple departments were needed to get the upper hand. But the damage was already done.

"It's an extensive loss, yes. And obviously there was fire in the building, in the common cockloft which ran the length of the building," said Douglas Sadowski, with the Fair Lawn Fire Department.

"Devastating to lose these small businesses"

Businesses in the plaza -- including restaurants, a barbershop and a salon -- were severely damaged or destroyed.

"The fire caused widespread damage to all the businesses located in the strip mall," an earlier statement by the fire department said. "It's obviously devastating to lose these small businesses as people lose their livelihoods."

Steinberg said Saturday would have marked 19 years since Zadies opened.

"You can't do anything. It's out of your control. You feel helpless. You want to try and help, but you can't. And you just have to literally sit there and watch your business, our business, and every other business in the lot just crumbling," he said.

Despite the extensive damage, no one was injured.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.