A fire raced through a southern New Jersey neighborhood, destroying at least two homes and leaving two children unaccounted for, authorities said.
The blaze in Millville was reported at around 11 p.m. Wednesday, but firefighters’ initial efforts were hampered because a nearby hydrant wasn’t working, Millville Fire Chief John Wettstein said. Crews had to run about 800 feet (about 240 meters) of hose to another hydrant and nearly that length to a third to combat the blaze, which burned for several hours before it was brought under control.
Two homes were engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, and the blaze soon spread to a third. At least six homes were damaged, and authorities said it wasn’t clear Thursday if the missing children had been injured or killed, or if they managed to leave the scene safely.
One resident was taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said. About two dozen residents were displaced. One woman said she and her three young children safely escaped their burning home because the fire awoke her boyfriend, who was able to alert them and get them to safety.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Firefighters were still searching the rubble and spraying hot spots late Thursday morning. The fire’s heat was so intense that it melted part of a fire truck and a parked car.
