Dad, 2 young children die in house fire; mom, infant escape

BRIDGETON, N.J. – A fast-moving fire has roared through a New Jersey home, killing a man and two of his young children, but five other people including the children’s mother and their infant sibling escaped.

The fire broke out in Bridgeton shortly before 2 a.m. Monday. It apparently started in a second-floor apartment where the family lived, but its cause remains under investigation.

Authorities say a 28-year-man, his 6-year-old daughter and his 5-year-old son died at the scene. The children’s 26-year-old mother, the couple’s 10-month-old son and a 33-year-old male relative escaped the home but are being treated at hospitals for undisclosed injuries.

A 27-year-old woman and her 2-year-old daughter who lived in a first-floor apartment escaped the home unharmed.