Fire that swept through Millville neighborhood, killing 2 girls, apparently started in their home

MILLVILLE, N.J. (WPVI) -- A fire that raced through a southern New Jersey neighborhood, killing two young sisters and burning six homes, apparently started in a duplex where the girls' family lived, authorities said Friday.

The cause of the fire in Millville remains under investigation but does not appear to be suspicious, city Fire Chief John Wettstein said.

The fire was reported around 11 p.m. Wednesday.

Two houses had already been engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, and the blaze soon spread to a third.

The heat was so intense that it melted part of a fire truck and a parked car.

Firefighters' initial efforts were hampered because a nearby hydrant wasn't working, Wettstein said. Crews had to run about 800 feet of hose to another hydrant and nearly that length to a third to combat the blaze, which burned for several hours before it was brought under control.

The bodies of the girls were found Thursday afternoon amid the rubble, city officials said.

Action News spoke to a family member who said the children are his nieces, Valery and Sammy. They were 9 and 13 years old.

Their father was being treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

About two dozen residents were displaced by the fire. One woman said she and her three young children safely escaped their burning home because the blaze awoke her boyfriend, who was able to get them to safety.