A 6-year-old boy died and several people were injured in a fire that tore through a multi-unit apartment complex in Ewing on Thursday afternoon, authorities said.
The fire at the 589-unit Cambridge Hall condominium building, located at 860 Lower Ferry Road, was reported around 3 p.m., according to the Ewing Police Department. Callers to 911 described heavy smoke and flames coming from the building.
Responding officers learned that a child was possibly trapped on the fourth floor, police said. Officers began evacuating the building and attempted to reach the apartment where the fire had originated, but were met with thick smoke and flames.
Firefighters from Ewing’s three fire departments — Stations 30, 31, and 33 — arrived shortly after and were able to reach the fourth-floor apartment, where they found an unresponsive child.
The 6-year-old boy was transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Ewing Police Capt. Charles Morgan said that the victim, Jayden Gotell-Watkins of Baldwinville, New York, was visiting relatives who live in Cambridge Hall, a 55-plus building.
Fire departments from Hopewell, Trenton, Pennington and Lawrence assisted in fighting the blaze and search-and-rescue efforts. Emergency medical personnel from Ewing, Trenton, Lawrence and Hopewell, along with Capital Health medics, treated and transported victims to area hospitals.
In total, 11 police officers, one firefighter, and three residents were hospitalized with injuries ranging from smoke inhalation to minor burns and exhaustion, police said. No injuries were reported to be life threatening.
“We are devastated by the loss of a child in today’s apartment fire,” said Mayor Bert Steinmann in a statement. “There are no words to express the pain and sorrow this family is enduring, and our hearts go out to them.”
The mayor praised the police, firefighters and first responders for their “extraordinary bravery,” saying they “put their lives on the line to rescue others.”
He added, “We are grateful for their courage and commitment. Their actions embody the strength and resilience of Ewing.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Ewing Police Department and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities do not currently suspect foul play.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Ewing Police Det. David Hartmann at (609) 882-1313 ext. 7544.
The Cambridge Hall condominium complex on Lower Ferry Road in Ewing. (Bright MLS photo.),
