54-Year-Old Woman Killed, Baby Boy Injured In West Deptford House Fire, Police Say
WEST DEPTFORD, N.J. (CBS) -- A Gloucester County neighborhood is in shock after a woman was killed in an overnight fire. Crews are working to secure the properties Thursday after two homes were destroyed in the fire and one of their neighbors was killed.
A 54-year-old woman is dead after a raging house fire in West Deptford, according to the police department. Officials said her family members, including a 1-month-old, all escaped.
"It's just devastation. It ain't ever going to be the same. Where do you go from here? I feel so bad for them," a neighbor said.
A West Deptford community is in mourning after the overnight fire.
"Words can't explain it right now. Somebody lost their life," neighbor Aaron English said.
The fire on Tatum Street was first reported at about 4 Thursday morning. By the time fire crews arrived, two adjacent houses were on fire.
Eyewitness News was on scene when the two-story house collapsed. Google Maps images show what the homes looked like before the fire.
"I walked outside and I was like oh my God and my heart just sank and I just stood there and cried for a minute," neighbor Tonya Kampmeier said.
"I get up, I looked out my front window and the next thing you know flames are pouring out the top of the roof," English said.
Neighbors are reporting hearing an explosion moments before the fire erupted.
Police say two men, a woman, and a 1-month-old baby boy were injured. One of the men was flown to Crozer Chester Medical Center, which is known for its burn unit.
The others were taken to Cooper University Hospital in Camden. Their conditions are not known.
Three people in the other house were able to escape and didn't need medical attention.
"If they need anything we're always here for them. I just feel so bad," a neighbor said.
"It was horrible. There were just flames everywhere. Couldn't really see anything," Kampmeier said.
Kampmeier said officials came to her door and told her to grab her grandchildren and belongings and get out of the house.
"It's just flat-out crazy," she added.
Crews got the fire under control around 6:30 a.m. Two homes are destroyed.
A third home suffered minor damage. The Gloucester County fire marshal will determine the cause of this fire.
CBS3's Jan Carabeo and Howard Monroe contributed to this report.
