Nobody was hurt. It was amazing, says Perez, who was equally impressed with the community's response to the crisis. Hoboken has grown into a hub for Jersey residents working in New York City, where astronomical living expenses have encouraged them to make the short commute from this town. As a result, property values have soared, Falco says. A lot of the properties have been refurbished and renovated up to current codes, which makes for better fire safety and construction features as opposed to buildings built in the past, he adds.
New buildings don t allow vertical voids.
Because the older construction of this apartment complex, the fire spread easily and took about five hours to put out, which is considered a very long time, Falco says. Fire companies assisted from Union City, Jersey City and Weehawken, the town whose Lincoln Tunnel connects New Jersey with New York City. This was one of the bigger fires of the year, Falco says. To prevent fires such as this one, he advises residents to limit the use of candles. But if you use them, make sure they re in a protective case or glass container to prevent it from tipping.