5 kids, mom forced to jump from New Jersey fire

  Eyewitness NewsNEWARK (WABC) -- Five children and their mother were forced to jump to escape a fire racing through their building in New Jersey overnight Wednesday.

Luckily, some Good Samaritans were there to help.

LINK: RAW VIDEO OF RESCUES The fire broke out at the building on South Orange Avenue in Newark around 12:30 a.m. The six people who were injured were members of a family that had just moved in to the third-floor apartment where the fire started one day prior and were waiting for the utility to turn on their power.

Until then, the family was using candles for light, and it is believed the fire was started by a candle left burning in the bathroom.

Authorities say an off-duty EMT passing by saw smoke billowing from the building. He rushed inside and began banging on doors.

Luckily, the hospital is directly across the street, and all the victims were rushed there after escaping the flames. They are all listed in stable condition.

Eyewitness News reproter Matt Kozar got an exclusive look inside the apartment. He reports that much of the damage was in the bathroom, where the walls were charred and the insulation and framing were exposed. Even the electrical sockets were fried.

CLICK HERE to see exclusive images from inside the apartment.

The building is located next to gas station, so firefighters had to work fast to get it under control. Luckily, they were able to contain it.

The building does not have any fire escapes. Investigators say it's not clear whether the owner was at fault because some buildings have different regulations. But many residents were upset the kids had to jump out of the window and didn't have another way to get out.

CLICK HERE to see other images from the scene. To make a donation to the family, please send it to:
House of Bishops
264 Glenwood Avenue
Bloomfield, NJ 07003

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