2 dead in challenging Union, NJ house fire

🔥 Fire broke out Sunday morning at dawn

🔥 A desperate resident tried to rescue a trapped victim

🔥 No ordinary fire: Rescuers ran into challenging situations

UNION TOWNSHIP (Union) — Two people died following a house fire Sunday morning that presented firefighters with several challenges.

The fire at the two-story house on Grandview Avenue was reported around 5:30 a.m.

Two die in fire

The two victims who died in the fire were on the second floor.

Fire officials said they were unreachable because of a power line that fell on the house, a collapsed roof and intense flames.

"Conditions deteriorated, the roof collapsed, the floor collapsed and we had to go defensive, " Fire Chief Gregory Ricciardi told CBS New York.

Ladder and garden hose

The owner of the home suffered burns when he tried using a ladder and a garden hose to get the person out, Ricciardi said.

A home next door was also damaged by the fire, according to ABC 7 Eyewitness News

Deceased not identified

The identities of the victims have not been disclosed. A neighbor told CBS New York one of the people on the second floor was a longtime tenant.

Red Cross New Jersey said it assisted a family that lived in the house with temporary housing, clothing and other immediate needs.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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