Authorities were investigating the 12:45 p.m. fire as an intentional act Friday night, and investigators were questioning a female.
TRENTON - A suspicious two-alarm fire ripped through a South Clinton Avenue home Friday afternoon, damaging the attached house next door and displacing 12 people, officials said.
Authorities were investigating the 12:45 p.m. fire as an intentional act Friday night, and investigators were questioning a female and retrieving surveillance footage from the area, the fire department said.
Trenton firefighters battled the heat too during the blaze in the 1200 block and were assisted by four Hamilton fire companies due to the heat outside, fire officials said.
Sarenah McFadden, 13, said she dialed 911 to report the fire after smelling something burning and seeing smoke seeping into her house through every crevice.
Smoke alarms were going off in the house, the teen said, and she thought someone had burned something in their kitchen. "I ran down the stairs and I saw black smoke everywhere," she said.
McFadden made sure her younger sister Anastasia, 8, and three other family members got out of the house. When they emerged from their house, the windows on the attached next door were exploding.
Amymarie Goodnow, the girls' mother, was at work when her daughter called and said the house next door was on fire. She rushed home to find all her family members were safe, and said she was proud of how they reacted, including Sarenah for unflinchingly dialing 911.
ALSO: Fire in vacant Trenton house under investigation
A renter, Goodnow alternately comforted her daughters at the scene and made calls to arrange temporary housing for the holiday weekend. Her landlord, the fire department and the American Red Cross were assisting her, she said.
Battaltion Chief Michael Welsh said firefighters were immediately suspect of the fire's cause because they found flames burning in three separate locations, in the basement and the first and second floors.
Firefighters kept coming out of the house, changing their air bottles, and going back in because they kept finding more fire. "They we beat," Welsh said, adding that the weather did not help their cause.
"I couldn't be prouder of the guys," Welsh said.
The house next to Goodnow's is where the fire started, and that home's occupants were not present when firefighter arrived, Welsh said.
Welsh said a business attached to the homes suffered water damage in the fire.
The Red Cross was assisting 12 residents of both homes Friday evening, Welsh said.
Deputy Chief Leonard Carmichael specially thanked Signal 22, the volunteer unit that brings water and food for firefighters for their efforts at the fire.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.