The American Dream mall in East Rutherford was evacuated briefly Thursday morning when a dumpster caught fire on the premises of the massive complex.
“Earlier this morning, a small fire occurred in a dumpster outside the building,” an American Dream spokesperson said in an email.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we temporarily evacuated the building,” the spokesperson said.
No injuries were reported, and the fire was quickly extinguished by a local fire department, officials said.
The fire, which occurred at a loading dock, was not deemed suspicious, according to New Jersey State Police.
Since the incident occurred outside of business hours, the number of people who had to be evacuated was minimal.
The mall spokesperson said that the issue had been “fully resolved,” as of 10 a.m. and the mall would resume its normal operating hours of 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
In September 2021, a three-alarm fire broke out at near the mall’s Big SNOW ski slope and briefly spread to the building’s exterior before crews from nearby communities brought it under control.
That fire occurred during pre-dawn hours, long before the mall opened, and no injuries were reported.
An electrical problem was later blamed for the blaze, officials said.
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