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At 12:18 a.m., the West Orange Fire Department responded to Northfield Townhouses at 595 Northfield Ave., for a structure in a 3-story home with trapped occupants, a spokesman for the township said.
Firefighters encountered a heavy blaze in the basement and were able to place the fire under control in 45 minutes, a spokesman said. A man and a woman were removed from the building and taken to Cooperman Barnabas Hospital where they were pronounced deceased, a spokesman said. The identities of the victims has not been released.
One person was evaluated for smoke inhalation at the scene, a spokesman said. Several neighboring residents were displaced due to smoke conditions and the Red Cross was notified, a spokesman said.
The origin and cause of the fire is being investigated by the West Orange Fire Department, West Orange Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, a spokesman said.
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