ELIZABETH — A sprawling warehouse fire in Elizabeth that has spewed thick black smoke across northern New Jersey for two days could burn through Christmas, and the structure may suffer several "catastrophic collapses" before the blaze is extinguished, officials said.

The fire swallowed the center section of the largely vacant facility around 6 p.m. today, according to city Deputy Fire Chief Lathey Wirkus. Fire officials say flames from the eight-alarm blaze are so intense they will have to let more portions collapse before they can launch another attack.

"Pieces of it are definitely going to collapse," Wirkus said today. "We’re definitely going to have some catastrophic collapses here."

At 11:50 p.m Thursday., Wirkus said the fire had spread "about 150 feet" into another building, but firefighters were managed to stop the flames from expanding any further. The main body of the fire, however, is still burning and creating heavy smoke, he said.

The inferno that started Wednesday afternoon when a junked car caught fire on the lower-level of the five story industrial complex, fire officials said. The fire has burned for two days as more than 250 firefighters from 35 fire agencies struggled to attack the flames. One firefighter suffered minor injuries Thursday afternoon, Wirkus said.

Elizabeth Fire Chief Tom McNamara said the maze-like design of the building is making it nearly impossible for firefighters to approach the base of the blaze, while the choking smoke and intense flames are stalling prolonged operations inside the structure.

"The heat and the smoke beat the men up, and we just couldn’t keep everyone down in the area long enough," he said. "Access is our biggest problem. It’s a fortress with all little holes and tunnels going through the building. We just can’t get anybody in there."

A 34-year firefighting veteran, McNamara called the blaze "the stubbornest fire" he’d ever seen and conceded firefighters will have to let several sections of the warehouse collapse before attempting to douse the flames again.

"The plan is to keep some water on the fire and we’re hoping to get the flames to take the building," he said. "This is going to burn for a while."

Fire officials have declined to say what started the car fire Wednesday, but Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage said he believes it was arson.

"To get into this building and have a fire of that magnitude, I don’t believe it was an accident," he said today during a press conference at a Newark Avenue bar near the fire.

Firefighters scattered rugs, wrapping papers and solid plastics to get closer to the blaze, according to McNamara, but after cutting down a steel door leading to the fire scene, they found their route blocked by stacks of plywood.

While health officials monitoring air quality at the scene determined no immediate hazards, county officials encouraged residents and nearby schools today to keep their windows shut and air conditioning units turned off.

But several factors could still affect air quality, according to county spokesman Sebastian D’Elia, including the discovery of potentially hazardous material inside the building, a free standing structure in the back of a massive warehouse front facing Newark Avenue.

Most of the buildings comprising the industrial complex were built more than a century ago, and some date to the 19th century. Portions of the industrial campus served as car and plane manufacturing plants in the 1920s.Until about 10 years ago, the building operated as a Burry Biscuits manufacturing plant, which produced Girl Scout cookies.

Smoke from Elizabeth warehouse fire spotted around the area 10 Gallery: Smoke from Elizabeth warehouse fire spotted around the area

At least six other enterprises operated out of the building in recent years, according to public records, including a junk car export business. Jose Gonzalez, owner of a tire company that started renting out a section of the building in March, said he hopes the fire doesn’t reach the front of the warehouse where his company stashed 1,200 new tires.

"I was trying to take everything out, but they said the fire was (further) down there and not to worry," he said. "Hopefully they keep it that way. We’re waiting to see. I’m so scared."

McNamara said firefighters endured a sobering incident Wednesday afternoon. As smoke billowed from the facility and firefighters struggled to contain the flames, he said, two firefighters became lost in the commotion. They were located after an anxious few minutes.

Fire Director Onofrio Bitullo said firefighters shouldn’t expect to go home any time soon.

"One thing's for sure, we're spending Christmas here," Bitullo said. "That's a fact."



By Richard Khavkine and Julia Terruso/The Star-Ledger



Staff writers James Queally and Victoria St. Martin contributed to this report.

Related coverage:

• Interior portions of burning Elizabeth warehouse collapse; 8-alarm fire continues to rage



• Elizabeth mayor: Massive 7-alarm warehouse fire was likely arson

• No immediate hazards in air quality at scene of 7-alarm Elizabeth warehouse fire

• Elizabeth blaze continues to 'burn out of control,' firefighters make little progress overnight

• 5-alarm fire rages in Elizabeth warehouse

