Yankees Announcer John Sterling Among Hundreds Displaced in New Jersey Fire

Impacted residents include New York Yankees announcer John Sterling.

ByABC News
January 22, 2015, 3:58 AM

— -- Hundreds of people were left homeless after a massive fire tore through a luxury apartment complex in New Jersey Wednesday.

Flames engulfed The Avalon at Edgewater in the city of Edgewater, located across the Hudson River from Manhattan. Plumes of thick, black smoke issued from the blaze, and New York emergency officials advised residents in Manhattan and the Bronx that they might see or smell smoke.

PHOTO: Firefighters stand on a ladder while hosing water onto an apartment complex, Jan. 21, 2015, in Edgewater, N.J.
Firefighters stand on a ladder while hosing water onto an apartment complex, Jan. 21, 2015, in Edgewater, N.J.

A local state of emergency was issued -- but despite the size of the fire no one died, Edgewater Mayor Michael McPartland said.

“To have no loss of life and so many people displaced, we actually feel fortunate and thankful,” McPartland said.

PHOTO: An apartment complex is engulfed by flames, Jan. 21, 2015, in Edgewater, N.J.
An apartment complex is engulfed by flames, Jan. 21, 2015, in Edgewater, N.J.

Residents were ordered to evacuate and were led to a nearby school. As the fire continued to rage, hundreds who lived at the complex, including New York Yankees announcer John Sterling, wondered what would be left of their homes.

"I don't know what to expect. Now, I have nowhere to go. And I need a toothbrush," Sterling told the New York Daily News after finding a hotel room.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.