Fire ripped through an Elizabeth, New Jersey home on Saturday morning, with some victims sleeping before they were forced to run for safety.
Ring doorbell video captured the chilling moments as the fire swept through the multi-unit property on Stiles St. “We got up, and ran out once he saw the smoke,” Demi De La Cruz told NBC New York. She and her husband moved quickly to bring their one-year-old daughter to safety. They were also able to grab coats and identification.
The Elizabeth Fire Department says at least 80 firefighters tackled the flames. “It was well above the first floor, extending to the second floor, and into the attic,” said Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Preston.
The fire began on the right side of the duplex around 9AM. One tenant told News 4 that the section is divided into multiple units, expanding from the basement, with first and second floors and an attic.
The De La Cruz family — which lives on the left side — saw neighbors jumping from the second floor. “When I exited with my daughter, they were breaking the window and jumping out,” said Demi De La Cruz.
At lease seven people went to the hospital to be checked out for minor injuries. While flames reached the frame of the house next door, no major damage was reported there.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. The American Red Cross is providing emergency financial assistance to the victims.