2 trapped in elevator during small fire at Woodbridge mall

WOODBRIDGE — A small electrical fire sparked the brief evacuation of one of New Jersey's largest malls on New Year's Day, but no injuries were reported.

The fire began shortly after 11 a.m. Wednesday in the electrical room for one of the passenger elevators at the Woodbridge Center mall. Security staff quickly extinguished the fire out, but shoppers were evacuated for about 90 minutes due to smoke and safety concerns, a mall official told NJ.com.

Two mall employees were briefly stuck in the elevator but were rescued without incident. They were not near the fire and were in “no danger,” the official said, noting that the electrical room is not connected to the elevator.

The 1,633,000-square-foot mall sits off Route 1 in Woodbridge. It’s the fourth-largest mall in New Jersey.