A New Jersey police officer is being hailed for his prompt actions that led to the safe evacuation of residents during an early-morning house fire at Cherrywood Townhomes. As reported by FOX29 on Friday, Gloucester Township Police Officer Shawn Kelly was proactively patrolling the neighborhood when he noticed the blaze and didn't hesitate to "jump into action."
Officer Kelly was responsible for ensuring all residents were safely out of the two units on fire, also confirmed by a FOX29 news report. Subsequent to evacuating the residents, the officer called for fire and EMS services. According to reports, crews from eight different fire departments worked collectively to rapidly extinguish the fire, underscoring the importance of such inter-agency cooperation in the face of community threats.
The emergency medical services took one resident to the hospital to treat minor smoke inhalation, while the affected residents from one home had to quickly find alternate lodging with local family members. A media release, as detailed by PHL17, states the investigation by the Gloucester Township Fire District #6 Bureau of Fire Prevention has so far determined the fire to be non-suspicious. Although it engulfed two townhouse units and multiple vehicles, the cause is still being investigated.
Amid the aftermath of the incident, Gloucester Township police are now firmly reminding residents, via a CBS News article, to regularly to check and ensure that their fire detectors and alarms are in working condition. The effectiveness of such devices in preventing disasters is widely acknowledged, though it remains through this incident unclear if smoke alarms were operational at the time of the fire.
