Hot spots were still burning Thursday morning, hours after the three-alarm blaze erupted and sent six firefighters to the hospital, according to officials. 

Fire engulfs vacant homes in Jersey City

Video shows flames and smoke billowing from the tops of the two three-story homes on Fourth and Monmouth streets. They were reduced to piles of rubble. 

The fire, which started at around 1:30 a.m., was so intense that drivers exiting the Lincoln Tunnel miles away could see the flames when crews first arrived, Jersey City's fire chief said. 

"As of right now, we have six firefighters being treated at the hospital for minor injuries. The fire is under investigation. We're not sure of the cause. We do have reports from civilians that some vagrants possibly lived in the building, because they were vacant buildings," Chief Jack Johnson said.

Displaced resident Brian Blazak said squatters were living in the vacant buildings and other residents complained about them to the city.

"Seemed like they were getting in through the back off the alley. They had maybe boarded up the front a little bit, but I think after a while they were just rip it open and get in through the front or the back," Blazak said. 

The Jersey City Office of Emergency Management confirmed to CBS News New York that the owner of the property was in the process of having the homes demolished in the coming days.

"We're looking into that also. What we'll do is review it through our police department ... and determine if there were any issues with people illegally being in the building," Greg Kierce, Jersey City's emergency management director, said. "It's the property owner's responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen and, if that's the case, potentially they could be cited also."

A Jersey City spokesperson says back in April the fire department responded to an activated alarm and found the building to be improperly secured and unsafely accessible, adding violations were sent, but the property owner never responded or showed up in court.

Sam Fogel said he bought the buildings that went up in flames three months ago and didn't know of any trespassers or any violations.

"The property was boarded up front and the back and all the windows were boarded ... couple of times. We had to check on it," Fogel said.

Fogel suggested the city is also responsible.

The process to get things done takes a long time .... If you are going to have a property [ in the] city there for a long time ...eventually people are going to break in," Fogel said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Officials said crews will now begin the process of tearing down what's left of the homes.    

Firefighters treated for smoke inhalation

A Jersey City firefighters union official said the hospitalized firefighters faced challenging conditions and were being treated for minor injuries, mainly smoke inhalation. 

It took hours to get the fire under control.   

"Especially in times like this, in the summer, heat exhaustion, smoke inhalation. The conditions, we had fire in both sides of the exposures. My men and women face a lot out there and we're just here to make sure they're OK," said John Collins, president of the Jersey City Firefighters Union Local 1066. 

The Red Cross was assisting eight people who live in neighboring buildings and are displaced because of the fire, the fire chief said. 

There was no immediate word on injuries to people who may have been inside when the fire started.   

The White House said permits for the $2.5 billion Empire Wind project, which is based at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal and already under construction, were rushed through approval. 

Trump administration halts construction of New York's offshore wind farm

Empire Wind was hailed as a key to the clean energy transition and ocean turbine installations were set to start in May, but Interior Secretary Doug Bergum brought it to a screeching halt. 

The prior administration "rushed through its approval without sufficient analysis," Bergum said in a letter. 

"They did a completely thorough review. Suddenly, also the Trump administration cares about the environment? I don't think so," said Julie Tighe with the League of Conservation Voters. 

The process took seven years. 

On Thursday, advocates gathered with Congressman Dan Goldman, who is urging the administration to reconsider. 

"It's destructive to any desire for American manufacturing, for building jobs here," Goldman said. "If you truly want to be America first, then you reopen this project." 

Equinor says it will "safely halt the offshore construction in the waters of the outer continental shelf for the Empire Wind project. Empire is engaging with relevant authorities to clarify this matter and is considering its legal remedies, including appealing the order." 

The reversal will immediately impact livelihoods. 

"We were ready to take a bold step in New York state with the offshore wind," said Chris Erikson, with IBEW Local Union 3. "Long-term work opportunity for the members of the building trades to put those turbines out there and so, yeah, we're angry." 

Equinor leased the federal site in 2017. Fifty-four turbines are to go more than 15 miles off New York and New Jersey. 

Long Island leader says project was "ill-conceived" and "a money grab"

Opponents hailing the halt include Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who said there is a place for alternative energy, but not offshore wind. 

"It was ill-conceived. It was rushed. It was a money grab and, basically it needs to be investigated further," Blakeman said. 

Gov. Kathy Hochul released a statement in response to the federal government's decision saying:

"Every single day, I'm working to make energy more affordable, reliable and abundant in New York and the federal government should be supporting those efforts rather than undermining them. Empire Wind 1 is already employing hundreds of New Yorkers, including 1,000 good-paying union jobs as part of a growing sector that has already spurred significant economic development and private investment throughout the state and beyond.

This fully federally permitted project has already put shovels in the ground before the President's executive orders—it's exactly the type of bipartisan energy solution we should be working on.

As Governor, I will not allow this federal overreach to stand. I will fight this every step of the way to protect union jobs, affordable energy and New York's economic future."

Doreen M. Harris, president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, said in a statement:

"The federal government's stop-work order for Empire Wind 1, New York's largest energy infrastructure project in 50 years, goes against the Trump administration's own prioritization of independent and locally produced energy and shows a complete disregard for a once-in-a-generation economic powerhouse like offshore wind energy. This project underwent extensive and robust federal reviews, having received all state and federal permits – including securing the lease for the project site from the former Trump administration – and is already under construction with strong support from the local Sunset Park community and more than 1,500 construction workers currently employed.

The federal government's interference not only ignores the reality surrounding the future energy security of our state and country, it's fueled by a shortsighted, political agenda that ignores the well-demonstrated economic benefits that this industry can provide as the state and nation work to ensure an affordable, reliable and abundant energy supply for future generations. The irrefutable harm created by this action will send a chilling signal to any party investing in the U.S. market, all of whom rely on regulatory certainty."

The halt will be in effect until further review. 

It left bands preparing to perform there scrambling to find new locations.

Guitar player Chris McCarthy has performed with his heavy metal rock band Internal Bleeding numerous times at the Greenpoint bar and venue, Saint Vitus. They even proudly filmed a music video there.

"Saint Vitus has a certain prestige to it that is undeniable," McCarthy said.

So when his other band's planned performance for this Thursday was unexpectedly moved to a different location, he was crushed.

The reason -- the Manhattan Avenue venue was shuttered in the middle of a performance Friday by the Department of Buildings.

"To not have them around, even for a week, is kind of detrimental," McCarthy said.

According to the DOB, inspectors "found approximately 250 people on the first floor of the building, assembled in an illegal eating and drink establishment," claiming it should be used for a commercial store instead.

The DOB says this was in response to over a dozen 311 complaints from members of the public, but City Councilman Keith Powers is hearing otherwise.

"They're all stemming, it seems like, from one person who's been complaining about them, an old disgruntled patron," Powers said.

Powers says the bar owners bought the whole building and completely soundproofed it. He and other council members are helping them re-open quickly.

"It's a reminder about challenges that a small business has to go through," Powers said.

Bar management says they're "saddened and deeply frustrated by the circumstances." They're now moving all scheduled concerts to nearby venues and cross-honoring all tickets.

While the bar may appear to be dark and inconspicuous from the outside, neighbors tell CBS New York it needs no signage; everyone knows what it is. It's been around for more than a decade.

"It should be a landmark," Brooklyn resident Christopher Leon Johnson said.

Neighbors say it should be saved.

According to the DOB, this is the second time the bar has been issued a violation. Another similar one was issued in July 2023 and the DOB says it was not resolved.