NEW JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Prosecutors believe the Washington Township house fire that left two people dead early Sunday morning was not an accident.
Crews responded around 2 a.m. to a home near Orion Way and Tranquility Court and arrived to find the house fully engulfed in flames. By sunrise, only a charred frame of the home remained. It was then that officials said crews found the bodies.
A Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office spokesman said some explosions were heard during the fire, though it’s not clear what exploded or why.
“I thought it was fireworks going off, like neighbors, you know, for Mother’s Day, or stuff like that,” a neighbor told our newsgathering partners at NBC10. “And then a minute later, I heard another big bang. I came out, and my neighbor’s house was on fire.”
Two neighboring homes were also damaged. No additional injuries were reported.
The victims have not yet been identified.
A criminal investigation is underway. Anyone with information is asked to contact Washington Township Police or the prosecutor's office.