Trenton blaze leaves family of five homeless

by Michael Ratcliffe/The Times, http://www.nj.com

TRENTON -- Fire officials are investigating the cause of a blaze that gutted a house and left a family homeless Tuesday evening.

No one was home when the blaze broke out on the first floor of the 2.5-story row house in the 100 block of Randall Avenue.

Firefighters were dispatched at 7:28 p.m. after emergency operators in the city's police and fire radio room received multiple 911 calls reporting the fire.

Thick smoke was pouring from the front of the house and flames were visible coming out the back when firefighters arrived, according to acting Battalion Chief Todd Fell, who directed firefighting operations.

Firefighters mounted an aggressive attack and managed to bring the blaze under control by 7:46 p.m., Fell said.

He said flames gutted the first floor of the home, while the second and third floors sustained extensive smoke and heat damage. Next to nothing inside the home is salvageable, he said.

While that house was destroyed, the blaze was prevented from spreading to several other houses in the row.

"While it was a team effort, Engine 3 (who arrived on the scene first) did a phenomenal job. They went right in there and knocked that fire down," Fell said.

The destroyed home's residents - a woman, man, and three children - are being assisted with temporary shelter and other aid by the Red Cross.