Two Children Seriously Injured After Fire Guts Duplex In Paulsboro, New Jersey
PAULSBORO, N.J. (CBS) -- Two children were critically injured after a fire gutted a home in Paulsboro, Gloucester County, early Saturday morning. Officials say firefighters responded to the blaze around 4:30 a.m. at a duplex on West Washington Street.
Mayor Gary Stevenson told Eyewitness News that two children under the age of 10 were rescued from the second floor. At the time, they were unconscious and had to be revived. Emergency services rushed them to Kroger Hospital, where they remain in critical condition.
Four adults inside the home were able to escape unharmed, officials say. One of them was carried an infant to safety.
It all happened around 430 a.m. on West Washington Street in Paulsboro. The first truck arrived within minutes, and crews from several towns throughout Gloucester County responded.
Stevenson believes the blaze started in a common area on the first floor of the home.
"The house is completely gutted. There's huge holes in the floor," he said. "From what I can see being a fire chief for many, many years in this town as well, it looks like it started in the living room, that's where they're working. That first floor up to the second floor on the left side of the house is completely gutted."
The Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office and the fire marshal are teaming up for the investigation. The Red Cross is assisting the family with lodging.
CBS3's Alecia Reid and Howard Monroe contributed to this report.
