Man injured in Galloway Township condo fire; investigators search for cause

GALLOWAY TWP., N.J. (WPVI) -- Investigators are working to determine what sparked a fire that tore through a condominium early Wednesday, injuring one man.

Flames erupted around 4 a.m. in the 100 block of Waterview Drive at the Mallard's Landing Condominiums, according to police.

Doorbell video from a neighbor captured the blaze as it consumed the second-floor unit.

Police said a man in his 60s was pulled from the burning home by volunteer firefighters.

He was flown to Temple University Hospital's burn center, where he is being treated for his injuries. Family members told Action News he is stable.

"Our crews arrived and began search and rescue operations shortly after," said Chuck Uhl, assistant chief of the Oceanville Fire Department. "We did find a male subject inside. He's being treated for his injuries at Temple University Burn Center."

After the fire was extinguished, investigators from the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office and the state fire marshal sifted through the charred remains of the condo, taking photos and collecting evidence.

Officials said smoke alarms were sounding when crews arrived.

Neighbors described the scene as frightening.

"I heard some kind of noise that woke me up upstairs. And I was like, that's weird. I looked out my window and I saw an orange glow," said Amber Davies, who lives below the burned unit and called 911.

Davies is now staying with family and said the community has rallied around her.

"Even people I don't know came out and literally gave me this jacket," she said. "The community here has been really great."

Another neighbor, Gail Swayze, said she saw smoke pouring from the roof.

"It was scary. To see that and to worry about people getting out," she said.

The prosecutor's office said anyone with information about the fire should contact their office. While township police said the fire is being considered suspicious, Uhl noted that it is standard procedure for prosecutors to investigate when a fire results in serious injury.