Breaking News: Structure Fire in Bargaintown
Fire broke out at 309 Oaklyn Ave in Bargaintown at about 4:30pm.
Photos by Chuck Brining
Scullville, Cardiff, West Atlantic City and Farmington also responded to the scene of this one story rancher. First in crews found it fully involved.
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EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP - A home on Oakland Avenue burned nearly to the ground Thursday afternoon, but the owners and their dog escaped without injury, officials said.
The fire in the 300 block of Oakland Avenue was reported at 4:16 p.m., and firefighters arrived and immediately called a second alarm when they saw the home fully involved in flames, said Assistant Chief Bob Dube, of the Bargaintown Fire Company.
The male homeowner was working out in the basement of the home, and the woman was in the backyard preparing to take the dog for a walk, when a neighbor saw the left-front section of the porch on fire, Dube said. The neighbor ran to the yard to tell the woman, whose screams alerted her husband to come outside.
The man tried to put out the porch fire with an extinguisher, but was unable to do so, Dube said.
About 35 volunteer firefighters from five companies fought the fire, which was under control in about 30 minutes, Dube said.
Atlantic City firefighter Mike Auble, who lives nearby, said he saw the fire, ran to the scene and helped the local teams hook up a couple of hose lines.
"By the time they got water on it, it was coming through the vents, and the roof caved in," Auble said. "It was going pretty good. The smoke was straight up in the air, black."
Alisha Kosden, who lives next door, said she was making dinner, when "all of a sudden, a police officer knocked on the door and said, 'There's a fire next door. You've got to get out.'"
Kosden said she got her 6-year-old son, Billy, out of the house and put the dog in the car for protection.
"It's amazing how fast that thing went," said another neighbor.
The smell of smoke permeated the neighborhood, as firefighters made a futile attempt to save the house. The shocked owners stood across the street, cradling a small dog in a blue blanket.
"I feel bad for the people," said Vicki Bates, a member of the fire department's ladies auxiliary who lives nearby. "It must be hard to watch everything you worked for go up in smoke."
The smell of smoke permeated the neighborhood, as firefighters made a futile attempt to save the house. The shocked owners stood across the street, cradling a small dog in a blue blanket.
The house was a total loss, with only a few vertical beams remaining. The American flag that flew from a pole in the front yard had been reduced to shreds.
In addition to the Bargaintown company, firefighters from Scullville, Cardiff, West Atlantic City and Farmington responded to the scene. Township emergency medical services also responded.
Oakland Avenue was closed from Ridge Avenue to Tremont Avenue while firefighters extinguished the flames.
Investigators learned that the male homeowner had deposited some fireplace ashes at the left-front corner of the house about half an hour earlier, and that was the apparent cause of the fire, Dube said.
The American Red Cross was called to assist the family, Dube said. Area residents who want to help the homeowners can call the township at 609-926-4000 or the Bargaintown Volunteer Fire Company at 609-927-2387.
E-mail Elaine Rose: ERose@pressofac.com
This story was taken from the news source stated above. It is not the opinion of The Elwood Vol. Fire Company or it's members.
