Fire in north New Jersey home kills five

[News_Editor]

Fire in north New Jersey home kills five

2012-02-24 11:19:18 GMT+7 (ICT)

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY (BNO NEWS) -- Five people died in a raging house fire in South Plainfield, New Jersey, early on Thursday, authorities confirmed.

The fire broke out in a multistory former farmhouse where nine family members lived between 2:30 and 3 a.m. local time. At least four others were being treated for injuries, including an 8-year-old who was taken in critical condition to a nearby medical center, The Star-Ledger newspaper reported.

A family relative identified the woman killed as Ann Jefferson, who according to public records is 62. She also said that four of her sister-in-law's children were also killed in the fire.

The prosecutor said investigators are working to confirm the identities of those who died and are awaiting reports by the county medical examiner's office on the causes of death.

A next-door neighbor said the fire was raging by the time firefighters arrived. She said the home was a former farmhouse before the neighborhood began to be developed about 30 years ago. The home has been a two-family rental unit for at least the past 20 years

Two volunteer firefighters are also being treated for minor injuries they received in a two-vehicle crash while en route to the fire, which was reported at 3:09 a.m. local time.

The fire is under investigation by members of the prosecutor's office and the South Plainfield Police Department.

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