Police catch person who jumped from balcony during deadly NJ house fire
By: ------
Stafford Township, NJ - Newly obtained body camera footage captured the moment a person jumped into the arms of responding police officers during a house fire that left an elderly woman dead in Stafford Township, New Jersey.
The fire started at a home on Yeoman Road back on Feb. 13 around 1:20 a.m. The bodycam footage shows Stafford Township police officers rushing towards the fire and then urging a person who was trapped to jump from a second-story outdoor balcony as flames erupted from the home. The dramatic footage shows the person eventually jumping into their arms. Police said both that person and another individual at the house were taken to the hospital in stable condition.
A third victim – 92-year-old Betty Matero – died from smoke inhalation, however.
Investigators determined the fire started within an outdoor storage container located at the home’s southeast exterior wall. Investigators ruled the fire accidental and said it was likely caused by a failure of lithium-ion batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries are used in a growing number of common rechargeable products. Experts say to always make sure the batteries aren’t damaged and to not keep them in places that are too hot or too cold.