What to Know The fire broke out on Brook Street in Jersey City sometime after 4 p.m.

By 5 p.m., the inferno was growing, threatening a number of homes in the area

Additional units were responding to the block in the hopes of containing the fire before it spread

A quick-moving fire torched through an auto body shop in Jersey City Thursday afternoon and sent thick, black smoke and intense flames are overtaking a block in Jersey City as firefighters battle a large fire at a garage.

The fire broke out at Center and Brook streets in an area of homes and industry sometime after 4 p.m. Thursday.

Yellowsmoke was rising from what appeared to be a mechanics’ garage around 4:30 p.m. By 4:45, the smoke had turned black and thick flames had consumed the top of the building.

Fire crews attacked the fire from the front of the building, but had to move back after flames caught electrical wires on fire, causing them to spray sparks onto the street below.

But by about 5:45 p.m., firefighters has gotten the upper hand on the blaze, and it appeared to be largely under control.

It's not clear if there were any injuries in the blaze.

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