Firefighters had to rescue seven people from an early-morning fire that broke out in a shore house in Ocean City, New Jersey, on Sunday.
Authorities said the fire sparked at the house, on St. Charles Place near Corinthian Avenue -- just off the beach -- inside a first-floor sitting room in the early-morning hours.
Late Sunday morning, officials said a preliminary investigation into the fire's cause indicated that it was accidental and had been sparked by some kind of equipment that malfunctioned.
Seven people staying in the three-story duplex, including one person who is wheelchair-bound, were forced to escape the flames by going up onto a third-floor deck. When firefighters arrived, they had to use ladders to rescue the seven people from the deck. All seven victims were taken to Shore Medical Center to be treated for smoke inhalation, officials said.
Two cats that were also in the house escaped the blaze, according to officials -- one was rescued from the first floor and a second is believed to have run out an open door.
A firefighter was also taken to Shore Medical Center to be treated for a laceration on his arm caused by broken glass. He was treated and released, according to authorities.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
