By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
- Camden, N.J. — Firefighters avoided being caught in a structural collapse while knocking down a predawn blaze at a vacant home on South 8th Street. FireRescue1
- Timeline: Crews arrived ~4:45 a.m. and had the fire under control by 5:21 a.m. FireRescue1
- Injuries/Damage: No civilian injuries or fatalities. One firefighter suffered a minor injury from slipping on ice. The front, side wall and roof collapsed; no nearby structures were affected. FireRescue1
- Cause: Intense fire conditions likely contributed to the collapse; origin and cause remain under investigation.FireRescue1
CAMDEN, N.J. — Camden firefighters confronted heavy fire conditions at a vacant residence early Wednesday and pulled back in time to avoid a structural failure that brought down parts of the building as crews moved to a defensive posture, city officials said. FireRescue1
Companies were dispatched to 1652 South 8th Street just before dawn and placed the fire under control by 5:21 a.m.Despite the collapse of the front and side wall and sections of the roof, there were no civilian injuries, and exposure buildings did not sustain damage. One firefighter incurred a minor injury after slipping on ice at the scene. FireRescue1
Images captured by a nearby resident showed flames and smoke venting from multiple openings prior to the collapse. Officials said the intensity of the blaze and other factors likely led to the failure; the exact cause of the fire and collapse remains under investigation. FireRescue1