A house fire tore through a home on the unit block of Merkling Street in Swedesboro, New Jersey, on Friday afternoon, killing two cats and leaving at least one person with serious burns. Firefighters arrived to find heavy flames coming from the structure, and the back of the home sustained extensive damage before crews could get the blaze under control.
The Swedesboro fire chief told NBC10 Philadelphia that the fire broke out around 3:15 p.m. on Oct. 9, hospitalizing three people, two cats were killed, and one person was treated for serious burns, according to officials. A separate report from 6abc put the start time at around 3 p.m. and said crews arrived to find heavy flames already coming from the home, with extensive damage visible on one side of the house.
Both NBC10 and 6abc reported that three people were hospitalized. NBC10 reported that one person was treated for serious burns, while 6abc said two residents suffered smoke inhalation and a third person suffered burns.
Crews Knock Down Flames, Douse Smoldering Debris
Fire crews worked to extinguish the blaze and were seen dousing debris with water at the Merkling Street property as part of the mop-up effort. The extent of the damage to the structure, described by one outlet as extensive on one side and by the other as extensive to the back of the home, left the property heavily affected regardless of which description is used.
The cause of the fire has not been determined. Investigators have not released further details on how the blaze started, and the case remains open as authorities continue looking into what sparked the flames.
What Remains Unknown
Several basic details about Friday's fire have not been verified, including the identities of anyone hospitalized and which hospital treated them. The exact street number of the home, its ownership, and any estimate of monetary damage have also not been confirmed. A third person was trapped inside and rescued by two Woolwich firefighters, according to 6abc; what circumstances led to the deaths of the two cats remains unclear.
Swedesboro has seen fire activity in the area before. In August, a 911 caller reported an unconfirmed fire incident at a Glen Echo Avenue address off Merkling Street, with dispatch records noting a response from Stations 25 and 36, according to Citizen. That earlier incident is not confirmed to be connected to Friday's fire.
No further updates have been released on the condition of those hospitalized or on the investigation into the fire's cause. Hoodline will update this story as more verified details become available.
