The owner of one of the properties on Olean Avenue that were severely damaged in a four-alarm fire earlier this month was issued a citation for unauthorized roof work two days before the blaze, which displaced 17 people from three buildings.
According to Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione, the owner of 197 Olean was fined twice as much as the cost of the permits because work was done on the flat roof without the necessary permissions. On Wednesday, the whole amount of the penalty was still unknown.
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Wallace-Scalcione said that the fire at 195, 197, and 199 Olean was caused by an accident after an examination by the city’s Fire Prevention and Arson divisions. The origin of the blaze may have been at 197 Olean.
After it was decided that neither of the buildings at 197 or 199 was safe to inhabit, their demolition was ordered.
“This is still a very active investigation,” Wallace-Scalcione added, despite the fact that no one has been formally charged with a crime.
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Some nearby residents have speculated that guys carrying torches were working on the roof that morning before the fire broke out. This week, Wallace-Scalcione stated that there were no employees on the premises when fire crews arrived to put out the blaze.
