Five Rescued From Fire Near Ocean City Boardwalk
By Tim Jimenez
OCEAN CITY, N.J. (CBS) -- Six people, including a firefighter, were hospitalized after a shore house fire in Ocean City, New Jersey overnight.
Authorities say the smoke alarms started to go off in a duplex along the 900 block of St. Charles Place at 1:40 a.m. Sunday, just steps away from the boardwalk.
Ocean City fire officials say there was a fire on the first floor and those inside the rental property weren't able to escape from the second and third floors.
Officials say five people were trapped on the third floor deck. Firefighters used 35-foot ladders to rescue four of them. Authorities say the remaining person who was trapped wasn't able to physically go down the ladder, so firefighters waited with her until crews were able to put the fire out and she could leave down the steps.
Fire officials say the five people suffered minor injuries and were briefly hospitalized. Also, a firefighter was treated with stitches after getting cut on broken glass.
Officials say it was an all-hands on deck effort and those who were off-duty were called in to help.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.