Officials: 1 person injured, 26 displaced in massive fire on Newark-Irvington border

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A major fire on the Newark-Irvington border left one person hospitalized and more than two dozen people displaced. The fire was first reported at 71 Montgomery Street in Irvington around 5 p.m. Tuesday – along the Newark border. Newark officials say that this home was abandoned. They say that the fire then spread to four other occupied houses. One elderly man was injured and transported to University Hospital for treatment, according to officials. No other injuries have been reported. Officials said that at least 26 people from nine families were displaced. The American Red Cross was called in to help. Fire crews ran into issues with low water pressure while fighting the blaze – something community advocate Donna Jackson says is an ongoing issue. “There’s no pressure in this area from here to all the way down. The last time there was a fire around the corner, the fire department of Newark had to run hoses from this area all the way down to South 10th Street and Springfield Avenue,” Jackson says. Officials say that one of the homes impacted by the fire collapsed. Firefighters will remain on the scene to monitor hotspots. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. "