North Bergen Apartment Residents Begin Recovery

As residents of a North Bergen apartment building that caught fire on Saturday returned to survey the damage many were relieved that their pets had been removed from their apartments safe and sound.

25 pets including birds, turtles and cats were brought to ground level of the Kennedy Boulevard building by firefighters to reunite with their owners according to the Jersey Journal.

"I know most of the people that lived in that building"  Anna DelGuidice told the Jersey Journal."The firemen were able to save all these animals."

100 residents of the main building, where a five-alarm fire burned for hours on Saturday night, will not be allowed back into their homes until engineers inspect the structure. Their report will be complete by the end of the week and will decide if repairs can be made or the building has to be razed.

The fire, which started in a loft at the top one of the 3 connected five story buildings, is initially believed to be electrical in nature.

“The real problem will be finding permanent housing,” North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco told the Record The township is collecting food, adult and children's clothing and toiletries at the Our Lady of Fatima Church on Kennedy Boulevard today though Wednesday starting at 8 a.m. daily.

100 people from an adjoining building evacuated as a precaution were allowed to return home on Sunday but another 100 are without homes. All the evacuees were housed at North Bergen High School on Saturday night but that shelter has closed.

No residents were injured in the blaze; one firefighter suffered broken ribs when he fell down a flight of stairs.

Tom Mongelli and the Associated Press contributed to this report.