What to Know
- Flames broke out at a two-story home in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, around 3 a.m. Friday and quickly engulfed the structure
- Firefighters responding to the blaze found a woman outside screaming that her child was still in the home; the child could not be saved
- A cause of the blaze is under investigation, but authorities do not consider it to be suspicious
A child and a man died in a house fire that engulfed a two-story home in New Jersey early Friday and injured 10 people, including three children, authorities say.
The fire broke out at the home on Commerce Street in Perth Amboy around 3 a.m. and spread rapidly. When emergency crews got to the scene, a woman was outside screaming that her child was still in the building.
Firefighters desperately tried to search the burning structure but were overcome by a flashover, which is when all the gases in a room -- from floor to ceiling -- simultaneously ignite. They had to get out.
The fire chief at the scene said they were lucky to survive. Two firefighters did suffer burns and were taken to a hospital. They were later released and are expected to be OK.
Police identified the child who was killed as 5-year-old Rhyan Jumelle. They have not yet identified the man. The relationship between the two of them wasn't immediately clear.
Eight other people, believed to be people in the home, were also hospitalized.
The fire chief said about 10 people were in the building when the fire broke out; one man jumped out a window to escape the flames. That man was taken to the hospital with various injuries; several other people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
The home was reduced to a charred wreckage, and crews were seen removing pieces of the structure through the day Friday. Police said the building would be torn down.
Local
A cause is under investigation, though authorities do not believe the fire to be suspicious.
