Apartment building fire leaves two dead, several hurt in Camden

CAMDEN — At least two people were killed and several more hurt, including a firefighter, in a three-alarm fire early Sunday, according to Camden County police.

The blaze at a three-story apartment building was reported around 3 a.m. on the 3400 block of Cramer Street, police said.

ABC7 Eyewitness News reported that at least one person was jumping from the third floor as firefighters responded to the scene.

Red Cross New Jersey tweeted on Sunday that it was helping at least 45 people in 18 families impacted by the fire, adding that "emergency assistance for temporary lodging, food and clothing needs has been provided and disaster mental health services are available to all."

According to the Cherry Hill Courier Post, Camden City Fire Chief Michael Harper said some of those hospitalized were critically hurt.

As of Sunday afternoon, Camden Fire Marshall and the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office were investigating the scene.

A starting point and potential cause of the fire remained under investigation Sunday.

The identities of those killed in the fire had not been publicly disclosed as of Sunday evening.

The firefighters' union called it "a Herculean effort," in a post on the Camden Fire Officers IAFF Local #2578 Facebook page.

The Camden firefighters' union also noted recent cuts of two Deputy Chief positions and the department's Training Division command, adding that a second fire, reported on High Street at the same time as the Cramer Street fire "greatly exposed our ability to safely mitigate multiple incidents."

In addition to Camden, multiple fire departments from the area responded, according to police.

More from New Jersey 101.5: