TRENTON, N.J. — A family in Trenton is grieving the loss of a second family member this week.
“He was a loving, caring man,” said Takeeta DeLee.
Takeeta DeLee said her great uncle, William Laster, and his longtime partner, her aunt Joann, died in the house fire in Trenton Saturday morning.
DeLee says family was in town for a funeral for their aunt who just died from stomach cancer when tragedy struck again.
Fire officials rushed to a home engulfed in flames on the 100 block of South Cook Avenue around 11 a.m. Saturday morning.
“When they initially arrived, they had a heavy load of fire. That was the issue,” said Anthony Ross, Battalion Chief.
Crews battled the two-alarm fire for hours. Four adults lived inside the home. Two survived.
“One was at work. And the other was the one who escaped from the third floor,” said Reed Gusciora, Trenton’s Mayor.
Police said the victims were found on the first floor.
“Our investigators are combing through the scene to establish origin and cause,” said Steve Wilson, Director, Trenton Police Department.
“Unfortunately because of a lot of these old homes, a lot of it is wood, so it’s fairly easy to spread. The residents were elderly that lived in the home so it also talks to their ability to quickly get out of the house,” said Gusciora.
The mayor says the home is attached to another residence. Nine people from that adjoining property were displaced. The Red Cross and the health department are assisting them.
“It will take time to heal, but we are a resilient city. We will band together to help out the families,” said Gusciora.
Officials said a dog also died in the fire, and another dog was taken to a veterinary hospital. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.