Officials at Mountainside Hospital have notified the Essex County Prosecutor's Office that a senior man, who was brought to the hospital after a fire in Bloomfield on Wednesday morning has died.
According to a preliminary investigation, at approximately 7:25 a.m., Bloomfield Firefighters responded to several calls reporting smoke coming from the first floor of 14 Evelyn Place.
Fast responding firefighters arrived and found thick smoke and flames coming from a multi-family brick-framed residential apartment building at that location.
Officials said firefighters received help from police enter the building and helped remove residents from the building who were unable to escape.
According to Essex County officials, an 85-year-old unconscious and unresponsive man was found inside the burning apartment. Emergency responders administered CPR on the senior man before rushing him to Mountainside Hospital for additional treatment. He died sometime before 6 p.m., according to officials.
Residents, who live inside the building, said they believe that hoarding and a build-up of trash hampered firefighters' ability to get inside the apartment properly.
Two other individuals injured in the fire are considered minor according to officials.
The official cause of the fire is under investigation.