Thedailymiaminews:- EWING TOWNSHIP, NJ — A devastating fire in a condo building Thursday afternoon left a child dead and multiple people, including police officers and residents, injured.
The fire broke out around 3 p.m. at Cambridge Hall, located at 860 Lower Ferry Road in Ewing Township, Mercer County. As the first responders arrived, they were met with thick smoke and intense flames. They quickly learned that a child was trapped on the fourth floor in the unit where the fire had started.
Firefighters from all three Ewing fire departments responded to the scene, and some managed to reach the unit where they found a 6-year-old child who was unresponsive. Despite their efforts, the child later died from their injuries at Capital Health Regional Medical Center.
In total, 13 police officers, one firefighter, and three residents were injured in the fire. They were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment of injuries, including minor burns, smoke inhalation, and exhaustion.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene, with heavy black smoke billowing from the building and flames visible from several windows. “There was a lot of fire coming out of the window, a lot of black smoke,” said one witness, Joey Cvoliga, who saw the fire from his home across the street. “I saw all the blue lights and everything… and there was smoke coming off the roof, it was terrible.”
As of late Thursday afternoon, the building appeared to be without power, though some units still had electricity. Damage to the building was extensive, with several windows shattered and both fire and smoke damage visible. The American Red Cross New Jersey was on-site to assist displaced residents, with 12 condos affected and 16 people forced from their homes.
The fire is currently under investigation by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ewing Police Department. While the cause of the fire remains unclear, authorities have stated that it does not appear suspicious at this time.
The community is left mourning the loss of the child and coming to terms with the damage caused by the fire, as many residents and first responders continue to recover from their injuries.