20 residents living in apartments above the restaurant have been displaced.
BERNARDSVILLE -- An early-morning fire Friday ripped through seven apartments located above the historic Station Restaurant and Bar in Bernardsville, displacing 20 residents and causing heavily damage to the residences.
There were no injuries to residents or firefighters, and the 115-year-old restaurant sustained only minimal smoke and water damage, authorities said.
Bernardsville Police Chief Kevin J. Valentine credited first-responding police officers Micheal Grosso and Scott Chertoff for getting all of the residents to safety.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation, authorities said.
"We're stunned, but at the same time we're thrilled that no one was injured, and because of the quick response of the firefighters, the building was saved," said owner Harold Imperatore, who also owns the bucolic and historic Bernards Inn. "The displacement of the residents is the tough part for us.
"We just had a fire inspection within the last two weeks and everything was fine. This is a 115-year-old wooden building. Firefighters did a fabulous job of containing the fire and saving the building. I'm blown away."
Red Cross personnel, the Somerset County Board of Social Services and the Somerset County Mental Health Crisis counselors quickly responded to the scene and are helping residents find alternative housing, Valentine said.
Imperatore said he hopes to reopen the restaurant within a week as long there is not extensive damage to the equipment inside.
The Penguin Ice Cream, which is located next to the Station Restaurant and Bar, didn't sustain any damage, authorities said.
At 2:15 a.m., the Bernardsville Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company received a call that flames could be seen coming out of the structure, said Randy Steinkopf, spokesman for the fire department. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered smoke coming out of the left side of the structure in between the first and second floor, Steinkopf added.
"There was a considerable amount of smoke when firefighters arrived," said Steinkopf. "We had to open up the ceiling and the walls to find the source of the fire. The fire burned vertically and horizontally."
Steinkopf said the fire was completely extinguished by 6:30 a.m. He said 10 fire and rescue squads responded to the blaze, including Basking Ridge, Liberty Corner, Far Hills, Peapack-Gladstone, Mendam, Millington, Stirling, Lyons VA Hospital and the Morris County Office of Emergency Management.
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.