76-Year-Old Woman Killed, Firefighter Hospitalized In West Deptford Fire

WEST DEPTFORD, N.J. (CBS) - A fierce fire burned through a home in West Deptford overnight, killing a woman and sending a firefighter to the hospital. The two-alarm fire swept through a home on the 1500 block of Division Street, just before 1:30 a.m. Monday.

Neighbors tell Eyewitness News they reported hearing a loud explosion.

"I thought our house was going to catch fire. That's how bad it was," neighbor Joe LaRosa said.

When firefighters arrived on scene, they found heavy fire and smoke coming from the home. Firefighters say they had to attack the fire in a defensive manner and fight the flames from the outside because it was too large to fight the fire from inside.

"My guys arrived on scene first and it was completely engulfed in fire. It is a very sad feeling when you know you cannot get inside the house," West Deptford Township Police Chief Sean McKenna said. "It appears that the origin of the fire was in this back corner of the residence."

Firefighters say they found the woman in the kitchen area. She was identified as 76-year-old Jacqueline Truss, the widow of a retired West Deptford Township police officer.

The West Deptford Police Department said the fire was accidental as officials determined the blaze originated in a small drum located in the backyard. The fire spread throughout Truss' home within minutes and it took hours to extinguish.

Neighbors tell Eyewitness News they rushed out of their homes to help Truss.

"I grabbed a brick and threw it in the window... trying to let the smoke out," LaRosa said, who added that once he saw all that black smoke, he thought the worst. "She was a nice lady. I used to carry her groceries in for her."

A firefighter was rushed to the hospital after having trouble breathing. The firefighter is expected to be OK.

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