1 dead, dozens displaced after fire wreaks havoc in NJ apartment building.

PASSAIC, N.J. (PIX11) -- A 3-alarm fire wreaked havoc in an apartment building in Passaic, New Jersey.

Both firefighters and panicked tenants were out in the pouring rain, just a few hours before the ball drop on New Year’s Eve.

Firefighters had no choice but to rescue a couple from their first-floor window; a 50-year-old woman who lived in that unit did not survive.

City officials say her 66-year-old male companion is barely holding on – heavily medicated, and in critical condition at an area hospital.

One of the tenants, who did not want to be identified, says she had no warning something was wrong in the 25-unit, privately owned building.

"The alarm didn't go off," said the tenant. "That was concerning. I just heard somebody say fire from outside. By the time I opened the door, it was black. It was scary. I basically thought I was going to die."

Passaic Mayor Hector Lora, who was on the scene Tuesday night as firefighters worked to put out the fire, says it appears it started in the apartment where the couple lived - before it spread to damage two adjacent apartments.

The cause – is still under investigation; the mayor adding the city will absolutely investigate the functionality of the building’s fire alarm system.

"The fire began on the first floor. If the fire alarm is not operating appropriately, the owner of the property will be held accountable for that. A fire alarm that is not working is unacceptable," said Mayor Lora.

For a majority of the people who are displaced, their apartments were not damaged by fire. They are scrambling to find a place to stay. Most of them are staying with relatives to start the new year.

In total, the fire displaced 59 tenants in the building. Sadly, there is currently no timeline for when they will be able to return home.