Haddonfield fire displaces 12, destroys 14 units days before Thanksgiving

Haddonfield fire displaces 12, destroys 14 units before Thanksgiving

A two-alarm fire tore through a Haddonfield condominium building early Wednesday, leaving 12 residents displaced but causing no reported injuries, authorities said. FOX 29's Jeff Skversky has the story.

HADDONFIELD, N.J. - A two-alarm fire tore through a Haddonfield condominium building early Thursday, leaving 12 residents displaced but causing no reported injuries, authorities said.

Fourteen units were deemed uninhabitable due to fire, smoke and water damage, as well. Two cats were additionally killed in the fire. 

What we know:

The blaze broke out at 5:22 a.m. at the Haddonfield Commons complex on the 400 block of North Haddon Avenue. The American Red Cross responded to assist residents with temporary housing and emergency needs.

Fire Chief Patrick Gorman of Haddon Fire Company No. 1 said crews arrived within minutes and had the flames under control in about 50 minutes. Some elderly residents needed help getting to safety, he said.

What they're saying:

"Fire was rolling out of the top windows of the apartment and smoke was filling the hallway immediately when our crew entered," Gorman said. "Responding within two minutes is critical for search, rescue and suppression."

Residents described a chaotic and frightening scene.

"It was very frightening…I’m 91 years old," resident Alissa DeColli told FOX 29. "I heard the fire alarms and saw the fire engines and firemen. My goodness gracious."

Neighbor Patrick Samulis, who lives just a few doors down with his three children, said he quickly jumped into action.

"You see stuff like that on the news, you never think it’s happening…we were 25 feet away," Samulis said. "I pulled the fire alarm. We went banging on some doors to get people out. By that point, we’d gone down the stairs and outside and realized the gravity of the situation — it was a major, major fire. Luckily, everybody made it out alive."

His 14-year-old daughter, Anna Samulis, said she woke up to a faint smell of smoke, and quickly grabbed her phone and sweatshirt to leave. 

Fire restoration crews were on site later in the day as residents assessed the damage.

"It just smells like burning plastic," Samulis said. "We’re a few units away from where the actual fire was, so there’s no water damage, but it smells really bad. Not staying there tonight until we figure something out."

What we don't know:

The cause remains under investigation.