UPDATE, August 15, 5:20 p.m.
Deputy Chief Robert Duncan of the Montclair Fire Department reports: On August 15, at 8 a.m., the Montclair Fire Department received a call reporting a fire at the church on the corner of Grove and Tuxedo. No one was inside the church at that time. MFD units arrived to find fire reaching from the basement to the roofline at the rear of the church. The fire was very advanced at the time of FD arrival, and it took multiple hoselines and master streams to bring the fire under control. Fire and water damage to the church was extensive. The fire reached 38 amrd alarm status. Four firefighters received minor injuries and were treated and released from the hospital. There were no reported civilian injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
A multiple-alarm fire broke out Tuesday morning at Montclair’s Grace Presbyterian Church, located on the corner of Tuxedo Road and Grove Street. Montclair firefighters along with mutual aid from neighboring towns battled the blaze.
According to Councilor at Large Peter Yacobellis several firefighters have gotten minor injuries and have gone to the hospital.
The fire started around 7:45 a.m., according to resident Marty Blich, who said it appeared under control around 8 a.m., but then quickly became a much bigger, raging fire with huge plumes of smoke billowing from the church.
These photos of the outside of the church were taken today at 3 p.m.
