Child dies, 6 people hurt after fire in Camden
CAMDEN, N.J. (WPVI) -- A child is dead and six other people are injured after a fast-moving fire in Camden, New Jersey.
The two-alarm fire broke out around midnight Saturday in the 1200 block of Morton Street.
When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found flames coming from both floors of a home.
Witnesses say some children were tossed to neighbors to escape the fire.
Four-year-old Lai'Yannie Williams did not make it out of her home alive.
Her relatives, four children and two adults were taken to Cooper University Hospital for smoke inhalation.
Her grandmother shared her picture with Action News.
"She was the sweetest, the most lovable girl, you ever want to meet. So sweet, every time she would see me, 'Hey mom mom, I love you.' And I say, I love you too Lay," Sherry Hayward said.
Hayward spoke to us, on how the family is holding up tonight.
"Such a young age, vibrant, so much life ahead of her. It's hard. It's hard on all of us," Hayward said.
Michael Harper from the Camden Fire Department said, "The fire started in 1282 and it caused some damage to 1284."
When firefighters responded just after midnight the home was fully engulfed.
They needed back up from nearby Collingswood.
The flames were so intense several other homes on the block were affected.
The Red Cross is assisting the victims.
June Sernak from the SW NJ Chapter of Red Cross said, "We will be housing at least 6 members of the family inside of the home on Morton Street. We have disaster managers with the family at the hospital and some on site here."
Although the cause of the fire is still under investigation, officials don't believe it was intentionally set.
"You don't normally have a suspicious fire when you have occupied structures like this, with that many people being at home," said Chief Michael Harper. "They did have working smoke detectors, we did hear them, they're still active."
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