Prosecutor: 4 dead, 1 injured in Lacey Township house fire

The fire was first reported around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday on Buttonwood Drive in Lacey Township.

Matt Trapani and Eliecer Marte

Aug 1, 2023, 10:23 PM

Updated 498 days ago

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Four people were killed and another was injured when a fire broke out inside a Lacey Township home on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
Authorities say that the fire started around 12:30 p.m. inside the home on Buttonwood Drive.
Dozens of firefighters responded to the home as thick, black smoke enveloped the area.
Images from Chopper 12 show that the roof and the front of the home were burned away.
Officials say that a woman was rescued from the back of the home and taken to Community Medical Center.
Four other people were trapped inside the home. Firefighters attempted to rescue them but had to evacuate the building after the roof collapsed, according to the prosecutor.
“The township is deeply saddened by today's tragic fire. We pray for the family during their time of grief. We thank all agencies who responded to the fire during this excessive heat,” Mayor Tim McDonald wrote in a statement.
The names of the victims were not immediately released.
Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer says that his office will investigate the cause of the fire.