Belleville, NJ (May 7, 2026)—Veteran metal/alternative producer Steve Evetts watched his recording studio of the last five years go up in flames Sunday, May 3, as a massive, 14-alarm fire tore through the neighborhood of Belleville, New Jersey. Now a GoFundMe campaign has been started to help him find a new space and rebuild his facility.
The inferno caught fire in a nearby mattress factory and turned an entire block to cinders, taking dozens of fire departments more than 20 hours to put out. While two firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation and exhaustion, amazingly no one was hurt otherwise, but 50 people were ultimately displaced from their homes. Four days later, firefighters are still hosing down hot spots in the rubble, and crews are continuing to tear down the destroyed buildings.
Evetts’ studio was a complete loss, as he noted on Instagram, posting, “The floor apparently collapsed last night, sending the entire contents of my studio into the burning pit below. 30 years of collected gear and memories, gone in a matter of hours. But it’s just stuff. Spend times with the people that matter. Make art that matters. That’s what endures.”
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A veteran producer/engineer, Evetts has worked with the likes of The Cure, The Wonder Years, New Found Glory, Snapcase, Glassjaw, The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Misfits, Saves The Day, Senses Fail, Every Time I Die, The Used, Prong, Sick of it All and many others over the years. While he began his production career in the Garden State, Evetts worked for decades in Los Angeles, before returning to New Jersey in 2022, where he took over the pre-existing recording studio.
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In the wake of the devastating fire, a GoFundMe campaign has been started to raise money for rebuilding in a new space. The campaign notes, “While insurance will help cover the value of the lost gear, it won’t come close to covering the true cost of rebuilding a new studio space. The expenses of construction, setup and treatment are significant. Steve is taking this tragedy in stride and is determined to surge forward, but he needs our help to build a new space where he can continue shaping the future of heavy music.” At press time, the campaign had raised $22,500 towards a goal of $45,000.