Union City Fire Will Displace Residents for Days

Authorities say it may be several days before dozens of residents are allowed to return to their apartments in a northern New Jersey building that was severely damaged by a massive fire.

Union City officials tell The Jersey Journal that roughly 80 to 100 people were displaced by the three-alarm blaze that broke out late Monday afternoon. All 20 apartments in the four-story building had heavy fire or water damage, and some other areas of the building were also damaged.

No injuries were reported in the fire, which took several hours to extinguish. But the cause of the blaze has not yet been determined, because investigators could not safely enter the building until Tuesday.

Many of the displaced residents are staying with friends, but some remain in shelters.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)