Voice of Yankees fears belongings, home a total loss in massive fire
Famed Yankees radio play-by-play man John Sterling fears his home and belongings within are a total loss after a massive apartment fire that broke out in New Jersey on Wednesday afternoon.
The five-alarm blaze reportedly broke out around 4:30 p.m. at the Avalon at Edgewater complex and, according to NorthJersey.com, by 9 p.m. parts of the four-story building began to collapse. Early Thursday reports were that the fire was mostly contained, though at its peak flames were visible across the Hudson River in New York City, and New York officials reportedly warned residents in Manhattan and the Bronx that they may see or smell smoke.
The luxury apartment complex stands four stories and has more than 400 units, and 400 residents reportedly were evacuated. While no deaths or serious injuries were reported, authorities confirmed there were minor injuries.
Edmund Rhoads, spokesman for complex owner AvalonBay Communities, told NorthJersey.com "Approximately 400 residents were evacuated and there were no injuries among the residents."
Edgewater Mayor Michael McPartland declared a local state of emergency. He said schools would be closed on Thursday and access to roads would be restricted until further notice.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Sterling took refuge in an area hotel at the fire's onset and spoke with the Daily News, saying "Maybe I'll get lucky and there won't be that much damage."
Later he told the paper, "I don’t know what to expect. Now, I have nowhere to go. And I need a toothbrush."
After viewing the fire during a news broadcast from his hotely room, Sterling told Newsday:
But when speaking the the Daily News earlier, Sterling did admit to being sentimental about what he may have lost.
"I was wondering what I was going to do for clothes. But then I started thinking about all the stuff, all the memories, whether it be music, books, and a lot of other stuff," he told the Daily News. "You know I was planning on moving to a new apartment complex and felt I was going to throw a lot of that stuff out. Now I hope I haven’t lost it.
"One positive is, if there can be any, is all the people that have called me up asking how I’m doing. Like Willie Randolph. A secretary from the Yankees. Suzyn, another friend from Los Angeles. It must be a big fire because she heard about it on Channel 7 L.A."
Sterling has been calling Yankees games since 1989 and has not missed a regular-season game since his hiring. He has called every Yankees playoff game since 2005. He is most famous for his exaggerated calls on home runs, including "It is high. It is far. It is gone!" and "It's an A-bomb ... from A-Rod" on Alex Rodriguez home runs. Sterling ends every Yankees win with "Ballgame over. Yankees win. Theeeeee Yankees win!"
Sterling has been calling games with Suzyn Waldman since 2005, currently on WFAN.
More than 14 years ago, a fire started at the same location where a five-story condominium complex was under construction and destroyed nine homes and damaged several others. The August 2000 fire forced the evacuation of dozens of nearby residents, including patients at a nearby nursing home. The cause was never determined, although investigators ruled out arson.
In a civil lawsuit, a jury found that negligence by the developer of the Avalon River Mews contributed to the 2000 blaze. AvalonBay Communities, a Virginia-based developer, was managing the construction of the $75 million complex at the site of the former Alcoa factory.
— The Associated Press contributed to this report
