BRANCHBURG, New Jersey (WABC) — Neighbors looked out for each other in Branchburg when a fire tore through a row of townhomes early Wednesday morning.
The fire burned through the attached homes at The Red Rock Preserve on Old York Road just before 5:45 a.m.
NewsCopter 7 was over the scene as the gas-fed flames quickly spread through the cockloft.
John Del Giorno reports from NewsCopter 7.
Families grabbed what they could in the terrifying early morning moments and ran out of the building, but say they are thankful that they escaped safely.
The fire gutted several townhouses. The building no longer has a roof after it melted away and parts of siding were left dangling in the wind.
It was just all happening too quick. Eventually, it all just spread down to the top floor of the entire building.
As the fire burned, firefighters hit the blaze from every angle as the red and orange flames glowed in the dark early morning hours.
Neighbors say the fire got worse by the minute. Canessa Stanley told Eyewitness News she got a call from a man begging her to get his wife to safety.
“He told me to go get his wife because she wasn’t answering her phone, so I ran over here, but then by the time I got there a neighbor had kicked her door in because she was in there sleeping and she didn’t even know what was going on,” she said. “A couple hours ago, this whole thing was up in a light blaze and then the roof caved in.”
I just want to say thank you to my neighbor. Because without him, we would probably be dead right now
“These are my babies right here. I just got to work and my wife called me and said the house was on fire. I ran out of my garage and I came back home as fast as I could,” a man said.
“I just want to say thank you to my neighbor. Because without him, we would probably be dead right now,” a child said.
“I have two disabled parents so I had to get them out as fast as I could and we weren’t able to save anything,” another neighbor said. “It was just all happening too quick. Eventually, it all just spread down to the top floor of the entire building.”
There are no known serious injuries. The cause of the fire is unknown.
Local officials are working with county partners to assist residents who have been displaced, including efforts to secure temporary housing and provide necessary support services.
The Red Rock Preserve is an affordable housing townhouse community that was just completed two years ago.
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