1 dead after officer-involved shooting breaks out amid reported house fire in Burlington County

PEMBERTON TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (WPVI) -- Authorities in Burlington County are investigating a deadly shooting that broke out after emergency crews were called to a house fire on Saturday.

Firefighters were initially dispatched to a home on the unit block of Woodland Avenue in Pemberton Township around 4 p.m. for reports of a fire.

According to Pemberton Township police, shortly after crews arrived on the scene, gunfire broke out from the back of the property.

Authorities announced Sunday that one man died as a result of the officer-involved shooting. There is no word yet on his identity.

Jasmin Taylor, a neighbor who lives on that road, said her daughters were outside playing when they smelled what they thought was smoke from a barbecue.

"We didn't think anything of it and then we heard what sounded like a gunshot," she recalled.

Taylor said she got her children into her house and then watched as police, with guns in hand, quickly swarmed her normally quiet street.

"My kids were scared," Taylor explained. "My mother was scared. Everybody in my household was a bit shaken up because nothing like that had ever happened before."

Several neighbors also told Action News that the incident combined with the heavy police presence was unlike anything they had seen before.

Mark Ruquet said he was driving home when he noticed a line of police vehicles and fire trucks rushing down Lakehurst Road toward Woodland Avenue.

From seeing the heavy presence alone, he said he knew something wasn't right.

"Something very big was happening because you just don't see that many police around here, especially state police showing up," Ruquet said.

Officials have been slow to offer details about what happened and why.

Anyone with information on this incident should contact the police.