Millville, New Jersey — A devastating overnight fire in Millville claimed the lives of two young sisters and wreaked extensive havoc on several residences, officials confirmed on Thursday. The late-night blaze, which erupted around 11 p.m. on Wednesday on 4th Street, rapidly spread to engulf four buildings, impacting six separate living units, including two duplexes, according to Millville Fire Chief John Wettstein.
The victims were identified by family members as 13-year-old Valery Mariana Cardona Gómez and 11-year-old Gissel Samanta Cardona Gómez. The intensity of the fire led to the collapse of the first and second floors of one building, further complicating firefighting efforts by damaging nearby natural gas lines, causing what Wettstein described as a “gas-fed fire.”
The firefighting teams faced significant challenges due to a lack of water supply. “Our initial tank water was rapidly depleted, and concurrent issues with a nearby fire hydrant forced us to extend over 1,000 feet of supply lines to access additional hydrants,” Wettstein explained. This required deploying both the 1,000 gallons from the fire engine and the additional 300 gallons from the tower.
One resident, a mother of three, recounted the terrifying moments as she and her family were forced to flee their burning home. She initially dismissed the noise as part of a dream until her reality was abruptly confirmed by her boyfriend’s urgent warnings. “I grabbed whatever I could for my children and ran out,” she said. “We left with just the clothes on our backs and didn’t even have time to grab shoes for my daughter.”
The mother vividly described the dire situation as they escaped, noting, “My baby didn’t even have a bottle last night, and I had nothing—no diapers, no wipes. We used blankets to keep warm.”
The consequences of the fire were widespread, with a total of 23 residents displaced across the affected dwellings. In response, the American Red Cross has stepped in, offering emergency financial help to three families, with further assistance available to others impacted. Efforts to support the victims included setting up an online fundraiser to help those affected rebuild their lives.
Millville Mayor Benjamin Romanik stated that the ongoing investigation into the fire’s cause is being led by the state fire marshal. As the community reels from the loss and damage, Mayor Romanik and local officials are focused on support and recovery efforts for all residents affected.
As firefighters continued to manage remaining hot spots well into the daylight hours, the severity of the blaze was further underscored by damage to firefighting equipment, with the intense heat causing melting damage to the front of one fire engine.
Community resilience in the face of such tragedies is being tested, but the collective effort by emergency services and community support networks aims to restore normalcy and provide relief to those who have suffered losses in this harrowing event.