2 found dead after intense fire spreads to 3 homes in Paterson

Two people were found dead Friday inside a charred home in Paterson following an early morning, three-alarm blaze that spread through three structures, authorities said.

The fire was reported about 2:35 a.m. in a single-family home at 71 North 7th St., according to the Paterson Fire Department.

Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke conditions on the first and second floors of the wood-frame home as flames spread to nearby structures.

Two men, ages 69 and 28, both city residents, were able to escape the flames and smoke, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office. The fire department said it had also rescued a pet from one of the homes.

"After extinguishing the fire, investigators discovered the bodies of two other individuals," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

The victims' names were pending confirmation from the county medical examiner's office, the prosecutor's office said.

Seventeen people from seven families were displaced. The Red Cross of New Jersey said its members were assisting with temporary lodging, food,and clothes, along with mental health and spiritual care services.

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