Utility pole fire scorches cars in Hackensack, N.J.

A utility pole and wires burst into flames, lighting several nearby cars on fire, in Hackensack, New Jersey early Wednesday morning.

Firefighters responded to the call at 4:45 a.m. in the area of Prospect Avenue and Berry Street. Crews said a utility pole crashed onto a car, bringing the power lines down with it. The vehicles caught fire, and their tires exploded. 

The flames engulfed eight vehicles. Pictures showed the cars burning with heavy flames and smoke in the air. 

Firefighters had to wait to extinguish the fire due to an electrical hazard. Once PSEG arrived and cut the power, crews were able to put the blaze out.  

One resident named Jordan said her mom woke her up and told her that her car was on fire. Now her only means of transportation is gone. 

"I just shut down and I started crying. I had my car for so long, since I graduated high school," she said. "And now I just graduated college, so I've had it for a long time. It took me back and forth to school. My car means a lot to me. It wasn't the fanciest car, but it was my car."

There were no injuries to crews or members of the public. The Hackensack Police Department was on scene collecting vehicle owners' information and providing pedestrian safety and traffic control. 

Most PSEG customers had their power restored as of 9:15 a.m., according to the outage map. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but it took place as New Jersey is recovering from serious storms that brought heavy flooding and widespread damage.