A devastating 11-alarm fire swept through an industrial district in Belleville, New Jersey, on Sunday afternoon, May 3, reportedly gutting the recording studio owned by acclaimed producer, mixer, and engineer Steve Evetts.
The massive blaze broke out around 3:00 p.m. local time and burned well into Monday. Authorities reported that the fire was fueled by high winds and chemicals stored in a neighboring warehouse. The intense conditions caused the flames to spread across an entire city block.
Steve Evetts, a beloved figure in the heavy music scene known for his extensive work with bands like Hatebreed, Earth Crisis, Snapcase, Sepultura, and The Dillinger Escape Plan, took to Instagram on Sunday to share the alarming news. Posting a carousel of videos and photos showing firefighters battling the massive plumes of smoke, he confirmed that his facility was caught in the destruction.
“Well, my Sunday just took an interesting turn. I don’t know too many details as of yet, but it seems my studio is gone. I can’t get in there as it’s still on fire…. More to follow as I know,” Evetts wrote.
The situation on the ground in Belleville quickly escalated due to environmental factors and logistical hurdles. Mayor Michael Melham declared a local state of emergency as fire crews battled low water pressure alongside the heavy winds. At one point, the water shortage became so severe that firefighters ran out entirely, forcing them to pause their efforts until emergency water deliveries arrived from five surrounding towns and the U.S. Army.
As a safety precaution, all Belleville schools, government offices, and recreational programs were canceled for Monday. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported at this time.
Mayor Michael Melham issued a statement addressing the severity of the emergency and the multi-agency response (as reported by CBS News):
“Thankfully it’s an industrial area. Those are all factories and warehouses. That wind unfortunately brought embers soaring into the air, so we had multiple structure fires that were secondary fires that ended up two or three blocks away. At this point, we’re very grateful for all the surrounding communities that are here. … The county OEM is here. I’ve been in direct contact with the governor’s office. We have multiple, multiple agencies that are here.”
Steve Evetts had relocated his operations to the New Jersey studio in 2022, following a highly successful three-decade career based primarily out of Los Angeles. Since moving into the Belleville space, the producer had already completed significant projects, including tracking The Wonder Years‘ latest studio album, The Hum Goes On Forever.
