The Essex County Prosecutor's Office is investigating a deadly building fire in East Orange Friday morning.
At approximately midnight, firefighters were dispatched to 161 Prospect street to investigate reports of a fire.
Crews arrived and noticed heavy flames coming from the back roof of a multi-family brick building.
Firefighters stretched several lines while officials on the scene activated a second, then third alarm for manpower as flames intensified and began to extend to a neighboring building.
During the search for the burning building, firefighters located an unconscious and unresponsive elderly woman inside one of the apartments.
The unidentified woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
About five firefighters suffered non-life threatening injuries while battling the fire which took over five hours to bring under control.
The East Orange Office of Emergency Management and the American Red Cross are providing direct aid to 18 displaced families and a temporary shelter has been set up at Edward T. Bowser Elementary School.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation.