Crime & Safety

Fire Causes Major Damage to Clark Fish Market

Midafternoon blaze roars through Westfield Avenue mainstay; no injuries reported.

A fire Monday afternoon caused significant damage to the on Westfield Avenue. The Clark Fire Department extinguished the blaze with assistance from Rahway and Linden crews.

The business, housed in a one-story building, was closed when the fire broke out; nobody was in the building when the incident occurred. According to Frank Cerasa, Deputy Chief of the Clark Fire Department, firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames. He said that the building sustained significant damage, despite the fact that it took only 10 minutes to extinguish.

"There was smoke and flames coming out strongly on the right side," said Cerasa.

Find out what's happening in Clark-Garwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Cerasa said crews broke windows in the front and back of the building, and cut a hole in the roof of the fish market to ventilate the smoke and control the blaze. Two engines and a rescue crew from Clark were aided by an engine crew from Rahway and a ladder crew from Linden. A truck from Plainfield was also on the scene as a backup.

Tony Mancini, owner of the Clark Fish Market, said he learned of the fire when he got a call from his brother, a firefighter in North Hudson.

Find out what's happening in Clark-Garwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"I was there earlier this afternoon, maybe an hour ago," Mancini told Patch. "I was putting ice in the case. I made breakfast. I was making room for fish and had just left. When he called me I thought he was kidding."

Mancini couldn't believe the extent of the fire. "There's nothing to burn," he said. "It's concrete floors and walls."

Mancini was unsure as to what could have caused the fire. "It's an old building and every once in a while something fizzles out," he said. "Maybe a breaker. We had brown-outs with the recent storm, but that was it. I have no idea."

Mancini said the the business has been in the Westfield Avenue location for more than 35 years and that he has been gearing up for a big push during the holiday season.

Sue McClain, who lives nearby on Madison Hill Road and is a frequent customer, came out when she heard all the sirens and stayed to give Mancini "moral support."

"I'm going to go through withdrawal," said McClain. "I'm not sure what I'll do. They have the best Manhattan clam chowder, New England clam chowder, garlic crabs. And Tony is the nicest guy."

Cerasa said the department also evacuated the next-door business, but firefighters were able to contain the fire to the fish market.

Cerasa said the department does not know the cause of the blaze and the Union County Arson Squad and a unit from the County Sheriff's Department will investigate to determine the cause.

That fire was determined to be accidental by Union County arson investigators, according to Cerasa, though the department has yet to receive an official report as to the exact cause.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.