Fire damages leasing office at Lakeview Apartment Complex in Gloucester Township. (Photo: Corey Shelton/FOX29)
GLOUCESTER, N.J. - An overnight fire destroyed the leasing and management office at the Lakeview Apartments in Gloucester Township, prompting a large multi-agency response and an ongoing investigation.
What we know:
According to Gloucester Township Police, officers were dispatched around 2:26 a.m. Saturday to the Lakeview Apartments leasing office after a fire alarm and burglar alarm activation at the property.
Firefighters arriving at the unoccupied leasing and management office observed heavy fire conditions and requested additional resources, prompting a second-alarm response. Police closed Lakeview Drive and Pine Run to support fire suppression efforts.
Officials said the fire was placed under control around 3:42 a.m., though crews remained on scene extinguishing hot spots until approximately 5:45 a.m.
Response details
A unified command post was established involving police, fire, EMS and Camden County Communications.
Fire departments assisting at the scene included Chews Landing, Blackwood, Blenheim, Glendora, Erial, Magnolia, Bellmawr, Runnemede, Lindenwold, Somerdale and Cherry Hill.
Despite the severity of the fire, officials said there was no extension of the flames to nearby residential apartment buildings.
No civilians or firefighters were injured, police said.
What we don't know:
Authorities said the cause of the fire is currently unknown but is considered suspicious.
The investigation is being conducted by the Gloucester Township Police Department in collaboration with the New Jersey Division of Fire Safety, the Camden County Fire Marshal’s Office, the Chews Landing Fire Marshal and the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office.
The Source: This article is based on a media release from the Gloucester Township Police Department.