NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A fast-moving fire ripped through a single-family home in New Jersey's largest city early Sunday, killing six people, authorities said.
The blaze broke out at the three-story residence at around 4 a.m. in Newark, the Essex County Prosecutor's office said. The fire soon spread to another residence, and both homes were destroyed.
The fire doesn't appear to be suspicious, but the cause remains under investigation, said Thomas Fennelly, chief assistant prosecutor. Everyone in the second home managed to escape safely, he said.
All that remained of the home Sunday afternoon was the charred frame, with piles of blackened, twisted furniture and belongings spilling out of the empty sills that once held windows. The white fence around the front of the property was still intact.
A small storefront church called Tree of Life Ministries, adjacent to the burned home, appeared undamaged. Neighbors gathered outside the home — many in their Sunday church clothes — shaking their heads at the loss of so many lives.
Authorities said it appears that some of the victims are related.