Four Die in Lacey Township House Fire

Four people died and another was injured when a fire broke out inside a Lacey Township home on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.

Authorities say that the fire started around 12:30 p.m. inside the home on Buttonwood Drive in the Lanoka Harbor section of Lacey Township.

Dozens of firefighters responded to the home as thick, black smoke enveloped the area.

Video from CBS 3 Philadelphia shows that the roof had collapsed and the front of the home was burned away.

Officials say that a woman was rescued from the back of the home and taken to Community Medical Center.

“The township is deeply saddened by today's tragic fire. We pray for the family during their time of grief. We thank all agencies who responded to the fire during this excessive heat,” Mayor Tim McDonald wrote in a statement.