Residents were temporarily moved after the Sunday night blaze.
NEWARK -- Five families are living in temporary lodging while cleaning out their scorched homes.
The Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 18 people who lived in three West Runyon Street homes destroyed by a four-alarm fire Sunday night, spokeswoman Diane Concannon confirmed. Three Red Cross volunteers responded to the scene of the fire at about 8:40 p.m. to assist the families, she said.
Monday morning, Robert and Willean Bogar were cleaning out their home and accepting donations from an area congregation.
Willean had just returned home from picking up Chinese food Sunday night when the couple heard a pop and the power went off, they said Monday. They then opened the kitchen door and were hit with smoke and the smell of fire, they said.
According to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose, the fire does not appear to be suspicious in nature, but investigators are still working to determine its origin.
Capt. Derek Glenn of the Newark Department of Public Safety said Sunday that one firefighter was injured during the response to the fire, but was treated on scene.
A man walking by helped rescue two elderly people in one of the homes, Glenn said. All occupants made it out safely, authorities said.
Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.