All missing people from the fire in Buena Borough, New Jersey have been found bringing the death toll to four.
A baby is still fighting for her life and a teenager is recovering after an explosion set fire to homes in Buena Borough, New Jersey, Thursday morning.
On Thursday, Franklin Township Police were called to a home on the 300 block of Northwest Boulevard at 10:35 a.m. for a reported fire. When they arrived they found a house that was fully engulfed in flames as well as a 1-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl who were both suffering from burns.
"The residence was fully engulfed when I arrived," Franklin Township Police Chief Matthew DeCesari said. "All indications are that this thing went up very fast and it was a lot to try to fight."
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The baby and teen were both airlifted to St. Christopher's Hospital in Philadelphia. The baby girl is in critical condition while the teen girl is stable, police said.
Their conditions remain unchanged as of 3 p.m. on August 4, according to a news release from the Franklin Township Police Department.
Police said there were four people in the home at the time of the explosion. They were a 2-year-old boy, a 3-year-old girl, a 52-year-old man and 73-year-old man. All of their bodies have now been recovered.
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Investigators said the 1-year-old girl and 16-year-old girl were either inside the home or right outside of it during the blast.
None of the victims or two survivors have been identified.
The fire, which was captured on video by a witness, damaged at least three homes in the area. Firefighters were able to bring the flames under control.
Footage from SkyForce10 showed widespread wreckage and debris of at least one home that had been destroyed.
Investigators later determined the fire was caused by an explosion at one of the homes.
Neighbors, including Adriann Macario, said they felt the impact of the blast as far as two blocks away from where it occurred.
"Stuff on top of the bathrooms, like, it fell on the floor because it was that strong," Macario said.
Police did not reveal additional details on what led to the explosion but said they are treating the incident as a “criminal investigation.”
“This is just something that’s very tragic,” DeCesari said. “This is a small community. Everybody seems to know each other and when you have an incident like this, it really hits everyone.”
Franklin Township Police, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, the FBI, ATF, and NJ State Police are all investigating the incident.
Two other homes were damaged during the explosion. Residents inside those homes, including Victor Contes, were evacuated.
"The Red Cross gave me help," Contes told NBC10. "I got some money and I have to right now find a place to stay. Look for a room."
Other homes in the surrounding area were evacuated as well as a precautionary measure. Those residents were eventually allowed back in once police determined there was no longer any risk to the public.
Franklin Township Police also asked the public to submit any video they had of the fire or explosion as the investigation continues.
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