[VIDEO] EXCLUSIVE: Deadly Fire In Secaucus, NJ Gated Community - PETER THORNE (4.3.11)

(4.3.11)
The fire inside the gated community in Secaucus, New Jersey was fast moving and appears to have been fatal. As crews went out their work late into the night you could still smell smoke in the air. The apparently fatal flames broke out early this evening at 201 Sandcastle Key in Secaucus. It's a gated community about five miles West of Manhattan. Right now the cause of the fire is unclear, and under investigation.

Judy Didomenico told PIX 11 News she's a resident and eyewitness to the fire. She said "we were cooking dinner and the police came in the firemen came in to tell us to evacuate that our house was on fire, but in fact it was the house next door."

She saw it all and survived. First reports are that one woman died after heavy flames engulfed a three story wood frame town house in a gated community on Sandcastle Key. The fire appears to have started on the second floor.

Andry Argyrides another community resident and eyewitness told PIX 11 News "I witnessed the fire coming from the window and the lady was hanging from the window more than likely dead, probably unconscious, and shortly thereafter she fell on the ground."

Some residents questioned why water wasn't put on the fire faster, controversially speculating that there was a problem with water pressure in the community. That is unconfirmed and when contacted by PIX 11 News tonight local fire officials had no immediate comment.

Here's what the Mayor of Secaucus said on the scene not long after the fire had been put out "we've got four units in the building that are heavily damaged, the bottom two with water the top two as you can see with heavy fire damage."

He says firefighters got the first call for help at 536pm and at the height of the blaze says flames were bursting from every window on the northside of the building.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• fire
• secaucus
• new jersey
• new york
• nyc
• new york city
• ct
• connecticut
• bergen county
• paramus
• garden state
• flames
• iniferno
• fatal
• news
• manhattan
• mayor
• rescue
• local
• petewr
• peterthorne
• peterthornenews
• wpix
• pix
• pix11
• wpix11
• deadly fire
• ambulance
• water
• water pressure
• google
• youtube
• twitter
• facebook