Firefighters Battle Blaze at Clifton Boulevard Apartment Building

More than 30 firefighters from several squads of the Lakewood Fire Department responded to a blaze on the third and fourth floors of The Cynwyd apartment building on Clifton Boulevard early Saturday evening.

Heavy smoke poured from the apartment building and flames could be seen escaping from the exterior walls.

The building was evacuated, but no injuries were reported. No one was home in either of the two affected apartments.

However, eastbound traffic was closed in the 12200 block of Clifton Boulevard for more than two hours.

Fire chief Scott Gilman said that firefighters got the call at around 7:50 p.m., and quickly extinguished the blaze.

“We advanced the lines up the back stairs,” he said, as crowds of evacuees stood watching the drama unfold from the sidewalk.  

“We got a quick attack on the fire.”

He said there was some concern that the blaze — which originated behind the walls of a third-floor apartment — would spread throughout the building. 

“We got it knocked out right away.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation.