19 people displaced, 2 hospitalized after fire rips through apartments in Burlington County
EDGEWATER PARK, N.J. - More than a dozen people are left without a place to call home after a fire erupted inside an apartment complex in Burlington County early Thursday morning.
Fire crews immediately called for a second alarm when they arrived to heavy flames on Elm Street in Edgewater Park.
Kimberly Adams quickly grabbed her phone, rushed outside and began recording video. "That building was on fire and it was burning so fast. It was just burning and I was like, ‘Wow!’ I don’t think the firemen could work fast enough. They were trying, but it was already burning so fast."
Officials say three people had to be rescued from a balcony, while a fourth person was pulled from a bedroom.
One resident was transported to a local burn unit. There are no details regarding that person's condition.
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A firefighter was also hospitalized for smoke inhalation. They are said to be in good condition.
The fire completely destroyed at least eight apartments, displacing 19 people, according to officials. 14 are receiving assistance from the Red Cross and at least eight apartments are completely destroyed.
Footage from the scene shows several apartment roofs collapsed with the fire leaving charred debris in its wake.
Officials say the fire spread quickly despite fire walls between each unit, and working fire alarms.
"I had an incident in Mount Laurel. I had a fire in my own apartment, so seeing the damages when I went over this way was enough to make my heart come out of my chest," neighbor Juan Rosario explained.
He and his wife, Rosa Velez, live in a nearby building. They say several of their friends live in the apartments that caught fire.
"I was, basically, worried for all my people that I care about around here. If they are okay. They are people I talk to on a normal basis," Velez said.
Fortunately, they checked on their friends and are ready to assist in helping their neighbors with what they expect to be a long road to recovery.
"Very long and hard. If you don’t have support, friends, family, it’s never easy," Rosario said. "Even if you have support, it’s never easy. It’s still a struggle. If you need help, I’ll give you the shirt off my back and I have a lot of people here that I deal with that I would do that for."
The cause of the fire is under investigation.