10 rescued, 3 hospitalized, after 3-alarm fire in Atlantic City, mayor says
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CBS) -- Investigators are working to find out if a fire that led to 10 people needing rescue in Atlantic City was intentionally set Wednesday.
Three people were hospitalized after a massive fire blocks from the beach on the 1500 block of Belfield Avenue.
More than 45 firefighters responded to the block just after 1 p.m. after six rowhomes with multiple units inside went up in flames, according to officials.
"Immediately on arrival, the firefighters went into rescue mode," Atlantic City Fire Chief Scott Evans said. "Rescuing people from the 3rd floor off ladders is a very dangerous, hazardous operation to make that happen."
The blaze quickly turned into a 3-alarm fire.
"These row homes are hard to get to in the rear, so they had to navigate through fences," Evans said. "These were boarded-up buildings so they had to remove plywood. The electrical lines overhead prohibited us from using some of our aerial ladders, so it was very challenging."
Three people were transported to the hospital, Mayor Marty Small Sr. said.
Officials say an arson dog was on site. Because the fire spread quickly, officials suspect an accelerant may have been used.
The cause of the fire is under investigation and the fire chief said wind definitely played a role in the spreading of the flames.
"I couldn't be more proud of our firefighters. Today, this kind of fire is probably one of the most dangerous fires you could face. With that amount of flame and the guys went right into action grabbing the ground ladders," Evans added.
The fire is being investigated as suspicious.
Atlantic City police asked people to avoid the Belfield Avenue area, including New York Avenue to Kentucky Avenue on both Atlantic and Pacific Avenues.
It took firefighters around two-and-a-half hours to get the blaze under control, fire officials said. The Red Cross is responding for those displaced.
"Something you see on TV," resident Alfredo Gonzalez said. "You don't expect to see it everyday, but when you come by, you just basically understand there's a lot of people that are displaced."
