Large house fire in Hamilton Township under control: officials

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HAMILTON TWP., N.J. - A Hamilton NJ home went up in flames while the woman who lives there was outside gardening.

What we know:

On Monday at around 12:31 p.m. Hamilton Twp. police received a 911 call regarding a structure fire on the 200 block of Burning Tree Court in Atlantic County.

Upon arrival, officers confirmed the home was completely engulfed in flames.

Seven fire departments responded to the scene to help extinguish the fire.

Officials say that no occupants were inside. 

Police say the owner and only occupant of the residence was not injured in the fire. 

What they're saying:

A neighbor recorded cellphone video showing plumes of smoke and flames.

"About 12:45 I finished lunch, heard a loud boom and it actually shook the house," said Lisa Rivera, who lives a few doors away. 

She recorded the cellphone video of the active fire.

"I opened my front door and it was one of those holy cow moments," she said.

The aftermath shows only a shell of the house remaining.

The roof caved, and the inside is exposed from almost all sides.

"The back was engulfed in flames and next thing we knew the whole thing is just crackling and totally up in flames," said Rivera. 

She described the lady who lived in the home. "The kindest and nicest person. I had come by with my grandkids and she would always have a toy for them and things like that. It is just sad that it had to burn like that," she said. 

Rivera said the woman's name is Gloria, but the neighborhood knows her as "Jingles" because they say she worked professionally as a clown for a long time.

Steve Shannon is another neighbor who still cannot believe what happened.

"I heard an explosion, then I seen the black smoke," he said.

Shannon says he has not seen a fire like this before that was fully engulfed and fast moving.

"Never in my life," he said.

Neighbors say the homeowner, who they refer to as ‘Jingles' due to her previous profession as a clown, was outside gardening at the time of the fire.  

What's next:

The cause of the fire is under investigation.