House fire kills elderly man; injures woman, 5 police officers, 2 firefighters in Camden County: officials

WATERFORD TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Tragedy unfolded in a Camden County community as one man died in a house fire, while a woman, five police officers and two firefighters were injured in the blaze.

The call came Thursday afternoon, around 1:15, for a house fire on the 400 block of Cooper Foley Road, in Waterford Township, officials said.

Crews found the house fully engulfed when they arrived on scene as Waterford Township police walked into the fire, in an effort to rescue two residents in the burning home.

The officers found a woman inside and were able to bring her out to safety. Officers went back in to try and rescue a male resident, but the flames and smoke were too heavy and they were unable to locate the man.

Meanwhile, multiple fire crews were on scene, fighting to bring the heavy flames under control.

Parrish added, "I heard them yelling, ‘Crawl to me!’ but I didn’t see anyone coming out. All I seen was police officers going into the house and coming out exhausted and coughing and not being able to breathe. I knew they were my neighbors and they were elderly and that they needed help."

Once the fire was extinguished, crews then found the man, identified as 89-year-old James Lucas, dead inside the building.

The woman was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Neighbors say the victim lived in the home a long time, before much of the area was heavily developed.

Neighbor Parrish Deale described a noise he heard before the flames took hold, "I heard sort of an explosion type noise. It was like a boom."

He was working in his yard when it happened. "I heard a bunch of crackling noises, so I turned the weed whacker off and I turned around and seen the flames."

He rushed over to help. "I knew the front was on fire and I knew they were in there so I figured maybe I can go around back and try to help them."

Another neighbor’s drone captured heavy smoke and flames coming from the home.

Parrish added, "I heard them yelling, ‘Crawl to me!’ but I didn’t see anyone coming out. All I seen was police officers going into the house and coming out exhausted and coughing and not being able to breathe. I knew they were my neighbors and they were elderly and that they needed help."

Five Waterford Township officers were taken to area hospitals for treatment of smoke inhalation. Two of those officers were then transported to Temple University Hospital for additional treatment.

Two Waterford Township firefighters were treated for burns at an area hospital.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.