TWO CHILDREN KILLED, 23 DISPLACED IN MILLVILLE HOUSE FIRE
JerseyTalks StaffA devastating fire in Millville, New Jersey, has claimed the lives of two children and left 23 people displaced.
The blaze broke out around 11 p.m. Wednesday on the 300 block of South 4th Street, engulfing six homes. Two duplexes were reduced to their foundations, and two single-family homes were badly damaged.
Family members identified the victims as Valery and Sammy, ages 9 and 13. An adult relative was also injured but is expected to recover.
“Everything’s burned to the ground,” said Iteaia Broughton, a displaced mother of three. “We have nothing.”
Officials say a gas line rupture during the collapse fed the flames, allowing the fire to spread quickly. A broken hydrant on the block further hampered firefighting efforts, forcing crews to run 800 feet of hose to the next closest source of water.
Mayor Benjamin Romanik said the hydrant failure is under investigation. The cause of the fire remains unknown, though authorities say there are no signs it was suspicious.
Community organizations are now working to assist those who lost their homes.