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6 People Injured, Including Child, Following Camden House Fire

CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) - Six people are lucky to be alive after they were able to escape an early morning house fire in Camden. Firefighters were called to a home on the 2600 block of Baird Boulevard, just after 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Firefighters say they arrived to heavy smoke. The fire was under control within 15 minutes.

The fire house is close by so crews were able to respond quickly. Eyewitness News was told someone inside ran to the firehouse to report it.

Multiple Injuries Reported Following Camden House Fire

According to the battalion fire chief, the fire appears to have originated somewhere in the middle bedroom on the second floor.

Officials say there were three people in the house and say they were likely squatters. Another five people were inside of an adjacent home.

Six people were taken to area hospitals for smoke inhalation. One of those who was injured is a child.

While fire crews say the house had working electricity, they're now trying to figure out if space heaters caused the fire.

"It's the coldest day of the week so it's possible that maybe they did something to try to keep warm," Camden Fire Chief Michael Harper said.

The injuries are said to be minor.

"It doesn't appear as though any of them are critical, so I would say six non-critical injuries at this time," Harper said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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