SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ (PIX11)—
Neighbors describe hearing firecracker type noises coming from the home at 1407 Clinton Avenue, then seeing massive flames pouring out of the first floor windows of a converted 150 farmhouse that now housed two families in a duplex.Four children and a their 62 grandmother all perished in the blaze. Their 33 year old mother, Natalie Jefferson, escaped, clutching her one year old infant. Two other older children also survived.
But 8 year old Tyler did not. His father Greg and the child's grandmother came to the scene of the fire Thursday afternoon. Greg was with his son last night. He recounted his parting words to the boy.
"Daddy loves you. You need to stay with Daddy. He says, 'No, I want to be with my brother and sisters.' He says he wants to be with his mother," Greg shared with reporters near the shell of the home. He also shared a photo he had just taken of his son the night before at a skate boarding park.
His grandmother spoke with tears rolling down her face. "Tyler and this family, the system failed them. I heard there were no smoke detectors."
Town officials refused to answer questions about who owns the house and status of fire and smoke detectors being installed, as is state mandated. Failure to have them lled carries a mere $100 fine.
"I'm in mourning," sobbed Elaine Youngblood over the loss of her grandson. "I heard that there weren't any smoke detectors in the house. The system failed them. A $100 fine? My grandsons life is worth more than that."
The mother of seven children, 33 year old Natalie Jefferson escaped with her one year old baby and two other children. Neighbors say one son, 8 year old Jordan ran out of the house on fire. The flames were beaten out by family and by-standers. He was life-flighted to the hospital with burns to his face, chest and arms.
"The baby was screaming help, help," said one neighbor who was woken by popping sounds at three in the morning on Thursday.
Ivan Mata said, "I heard him saying come out, come out, like that maybe calling some names."
Heavy smoke and flames could be seen pouring out of every window. Some neighbors say it may have been a half hour of more before fire crews were called and made itnto the scene.
Mata elaborated, "Flames were horrible causing house to burn relatively quickly. Really big, big, big flames."
Five fire companies responded, with 75 firefighters desperately working to extinguish the blaze in the 150 year old converted farm house.
Fire Chief Tom Scalera described it as heavy fire coming out of 3 or 4 windows. "We had our ladder truck up putting water on the fire. We had a 1,000 gallon per minute ladder truck there."
And many neighbors, woken up by sirens and the glow of the fire were quick to do what they could, providing shoes, clothes and coats to the other family of four that was also left homeless in the middle of the night.
