Gloucester Township officer discovers two homes on fire while on patrol

A police officer from Gloucester Township, New Jersey, is being praised as a hero for his quick response to a fire that broke out early Friday morning. Officer Shawn Kelly was conducting a routine patrol through the Cherrywood Townhome development when he spotted flames coming from the 1600 block of Bryant Place.

Upon approaching the scene, Kelly discovered that the fire was affecting two townhouse units and several vehicles in the driveway. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, he immediately alerted the families living in the affected homes, ensuring their safe evacuation and accountability.

After confirming the families were safe, Officer Kelly contacted fire and emergency medical services (EMS) for assistance. Multiple fire departments, including Erial, Blackwood, Chews Landing, Lambs Terrace, Glendora, Blenheim, Pine Hill, and Winslow Township, along with Inspira Basic Life Support, were dispatched to the scene.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, and one resident was transported to a nearby hospital for minor smoke inhalation. The fire's cause is currently under investigation but has been deemed non-suspicious at this time.

In light of this incident, the Gloucester Township police are reminding residents to check their fire alert and suppression systems to ensure they are functioning properly, as it remains unclear whether smoke alarms were operational in this particular case.