Paterson, N.J., Aug 26, 2019 / 12:55 pm
After a fire destroyed a Catholic Charities shelter in Paterson, New Jersey on Saturday, Catholic leaders are counting their blessings that no one was injured or killed in the blaze.
"Thank you to our working Straight and Narrow employees, who, when the alarm sounded, acted diligently and professionally. Our service recipients evacuated quickly and calmly, and none of our employees or clients were hurt," Scott Milliken, CEO of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Paterson, said in a statement.
In the late morning on Saturday, August 24, "a small isolated blaze quickly turned into a five-alarm fire, sending plumes of black smoke into the air," at the Straight and Narrow Catholic Charities three-story residence, Milliken said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, The New York Times reported.
Paterson, New Jersey is a city of approximately 149,000 people, located 15 miles north of Newark.
The shelter's 200 residents were evacuated and placed in other diocesan shelters. Those who were receiving treatment for addiction recovery at the Straight and Narrow house were placed in locations where they could continue receiving treatment.