Edgewater Fire: Hundreds Left Homeless, Fire Was Accidental? [PHOTOS + VIDEO]

The Edgewater fire at an NJ apartment complex Wednesday night has been called "accidental" by authorities. The five-alarm fire "accident" reportedly occurred over something trivial. According to the Gothamist, workers doing plumbing maintenance work using blowtorches began the Edgewater fire; but they called their supervisor first before calling 911.

The residents at the Avalon at Edgewater, along the Hudson River across from Manhattan, awoke Thursday to massive damage brought about by a second Edgewater fire in 15 years. Both fires are reportedly considered amongst the worst in the history of Bergen County.

Most residents were fortunately not home when the Edgewater fire started. However, there were some who were still trapped in the blaze, reports CNN.

The Avalon was described as resembling a battlefield after the fire had been put out. There were shattered walls, scorched timbers and thick and choking smoke, according to nj.com. "Our hearts go out to everyone who was affected by this; it was a long and challenging night," said Edgewater Mayor Michael McPartland at a Thursday morning press conference. "The fire is contained and under control." He added that only two residents and two firefighters suffered minor injuries from the Edgewater fire. Meanwhile, there was no one who was reported missing. However, there were some that unfortunately could not be rescued.

On Thursday afternoon during a press briefing attended by Gov. Chris Christie, Police Chief William Skidmore said Avalon maintenance workers were using a blowtorch to perform plumbing repairs in a first-floor apartment at about 4 p.m. when the Edgewater fire started spreading inside a wall. However, instead of immediately calling 911, the workers phoned their supervisor which eventually led to a 15-minute delay in the emergency response, added Skidmore.

That decision, "certainly didn't help" in stopping the fire's spread, said the chief. "It was mostly a big contributor because it was a delay in the response of the fire department."

Skidmore was asked if the delay has opened the workers to criminal liability, Skidmore said it did not and that the Edgewater fire was simply a "tragic accident."

The Edgewater fire lasted for nearly seven hours, and of the 408 apartments at Avalon, 240 were destroyed, which left at least 500 people homeless.

According to reports, about 520 others from neighboring buildings and houses were temporarily displaced after the Edgewater fire. While the complex had sprinklers, they reportedly weren't meant to completely douse a fire.

A huge cleanup is now required to clear the site of the Edgewater fire.

Believed to be a huge factor in the rapid spread of the blaze was of the building being built of "lightweight" wood.

"Firefighters and construction-industry representatives have fought for years over whether there should be stricter regulations on the building method," the Bergen Record reports,

According to fire officials, if the structure had been made of concrete and cinder block, the Edgewater fire wouldn't have been as extensive. Fire chiefs interviewed Thursday also said that lightweight construction forces firefighters to work in dangerous conditions.

The 2000 fire in the same place also reportedly involved wood-frame construction. That Edgewater fire resulted in the destruction of four buildings. After that incident, AvalonBay paid $6 million in settlements to the homeowners, according to an Associated Press in 2005. The replacement complex later cost $75 million to build.

According to residents and community officials, it was remarkable that no one died in the Edgewater fire Wednesday.

Fire alarm and sprinkler systems worked properly and the company reportedly met all state and local fire codes. However, David Kurasz, executive director of the New Jersey Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board, an industry trade group, said that the Edgewater fire perfectly illustrates the risks of lightweight wood construction. Using such building materials are significantly less costly than steel or concrete.

"The material is excellent under regular conditions," said Kurasz. "As soon as you introduce fire to this type of construction materials, it fails very, very quickly."

He added that it might be time to "re-look at the codes," both in the construction materials used and the types of sprinkler systems installed after surveying the damage after the Edgewater fire. According to Kurasz, re-looking at the codes is important since even projects following the law can result in tragedy.

As for the Edgewater fire victims, authorities have reportedly established services for affected residents at a local community center. For more information on how to help the residents, click here.