One Person Hospitalized in Late Night Summit Fire

A late-night, two-alarm fire on Friday injured one resident and damaged a home at 50 Ashwood Avenue. Nearly a dozen residents were displaced and required relocation assistance from the , according to a fire official.

The took an unidentified resident to with minor injuries, according Summit Fire Chief Joseph Houck. Eleven residents were waiting to be relocated by the Red Cross before the fire was brought to a complete end.

"I thank god my family got out safely," said Jose Garcia who lives with his wife and six children. He was hoping to get access to his home to see what he could retrieve. Despite the damage, Garcia said that everything was fine and the fire was handled well.

Firefighters answered the call around 11p.m., encountering a dramatic scene of flames and smoke shooting from the top of the home. "Flames were coming up the wall and through the roof," said Houck. Fire trucks lined Ashwood Avenue near Morris Avenue. A county-wide response came in, firefighting crews from Union, Berkeley Heights, Springfield and Millburn were on scene. The Summit Volunteer Ambulance Squad also responded to the scene to assist firefighters.

"The guys did a heck of a job to keep it in check and knock [the fire] down," Houck said. The incident will be under a joint investigation by Summit's Fire and Police departments.