PLEASANTVILLE — Four adults were displaced after callers reported hearing an explosion before a fire destroyed a home on New Jersey Avenue in Pleasantville on Tuesday afternoon, according to fire officials.
Pleasantville firefighters were dispatched at 2:35 p.m. to the 700 block of New Jersey Avenue, Fire Chief Keven Vanegas said in a news release.
All occupants had evacuated the home before firefighters arrived, Vanegas said.
Firefighters initially attempted to battle the blaze from inside the home. As conditions worsened, however, crews were pulled out and switched to an exterior attack.
One firefighter suffered a minor injury but did not require treatment from emergency medical personnel, according to Vanegas.
No civilians were injured.
Four adults were displaced by the fire and were receiving assistance from the American Red Cross.
The fire brought a significant mutual-aid response to Pleasantville. Firefighters from the South Jersey Transportation Authority, Absecon, Northfield, Linwood and Egg Harbor Township assisted at the scene, along with Atlantic County fire coordinators.
Cause of Reported Explosion Under Investigation
The incident initially drew attention Tuesday afternoon after reports of a large explosion in the area.
Fire officials have now confirmed that callers reported hearing an explosion before the fire, but what caused the explosion has not been determined.
Vanegas said both the origin of the fire and the reported explosion remain under investigation.
Earlier information obtained by South Jersey NewsBeat indicated the emergency response was in the New Jersey Avenue area, but details about exactly what had happened remained limited for several hours Tuesday.
The latest information from Pleasantville fire officials establishes that a home was destroyed, four adults were displaced and one firefighter sustained a minor injury.
South Jersey NewsBeat will update this story if additional information about the cause of the fire or reported explosion becomes available.
Editor's note: This story has been updated from an earlier breaking-news report with additional information released by Pleasantville Fire Chief Keven Vanegas.
