A beautiful spring day was marred by smoke and chemical smells when a fire started on the light rail tracks near the Richard Street station in the Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood in Jersey City. The light rail is shut down until the fire is under control. This is a developing story. Read on for what we know.
About the Fire
Around 3PM on Tuesday, April 11th, messages started coming into The Hoboken Girl through DMs and emails. The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail tweeted an update that service would skip the Richard Street Station due to fire department activity. A passenger shared a photo of several light rail riders waiting at Liberty State Park to make alternate transit arrangements due to their truncated routes.
UPDATE: Hudson-Bergen Light Rail service is suspended in both directions between Liberty State Park and 45th Street Station due to fire department activity near Richard Street.
— Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (@NJTRANSIT_HBLR) April 11, 2023
More pictures and videos came in from readers, including one who suggested that the fire started at a paper recycling plant near Liberty State Park. “Both sides of the track between Liberty State Park and Richard Street are on fire,” the message said.
The smoke from the fire could be seen from miles, including across New York Harbor. This photo was taken by a Hoboken Girl reader who was riding a ferry underneath the Verrazano Bridge.
Photo courtesy of @caseyfayan
Evening Commute
It’s unknown how long it will take to extinguish the fire. Two local news networks, ABC7 and NBC4, have helicopters covering the scene.
Photo courtesy of @edheadlamphotography1
At this time, it is not known what caused the fire, nor is there an estimated time when light rail service will be restored past Liberty State Park. No injuries have been reported. This story will be updated as more information is shared.
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