By: Richard L. Smith
Firefighters battled a fast-moving blaze early Saturday morning that tore through an abandoned house in East Orange.
The fire ignited around 1:10 a.m. at a two-and-a-half-story wood-framed home on the teens block of Westcott Street.
Crews arrived to find the structure fully engulfed in flames, with fire ripping through the building and extending up to the roof.
Due to the intensity of the fire and the building's deteriorating condition, firefighters initiated an exterior attack after part of the structure began to collapse. Several water lines were deployed to contain the flames.
The fire was brought under control within an hour, and no severe injuries were reported.
The East Orange Fire Department is investigating the cause of the blaze.
The abandoned house sustained significant damage, and officials are working to determine what sparked the fire. As the investigation continues, further updates will follow.