2 Children Dead After Fire Tears Through Several Millville Homes

MILLVILLE, NJ — Two children who were unaccounted for after a fire tore through multiple homes in Millville on Wednesday night were confirmed dead Thursday by a New Jersey state lawmaker.

Fire crews were called to the 300 block of South 4th Street around 11 p.m. Wednesday, where they found two homes engulfed in flames, Millville Fire Chief John Wettstein told NJ Advance Media.

Two girls, ages 8 and 10, were unaccounted for as firefighters searched the smoldering rubble on Thursday morning, reports said.

In a statement released Thursday afternoon, Sen. Michael Testa (NJ-1) called the blaze "an unimaginable tragedy" and confirmed both girls had died.

"My heart is broken for the family who lost two young daughters in this devastating fire, and my prayers are with them and everyone affected," Testa said. "This is a loss that shakes our entire community to the core.”

Identification of the victims is pending.

After the fire broke out, it spread to two nearby buildings. CBS New Jersey reported that a total of six homes were impacted by the blaze, as two of the buildings were duplexes.

It took fire crews nearly six hours to contain the blaze, reports said. Video from 6ABC showed crews battling the intense fire.

According to reports, a gas line ruptured during the blaze, which fed the fire and allowed it to jump from house to house.

"Until the South Jersey gas arrived and was able to turn the gas off to all the houses, we did have a gas-fed fire that made it a little bit more difficult," Wettstein said.

One person was taken to the hospital with injuries. In all, 23 people were displaced. The American Red Cross is assisting the families, reports said.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.