Victims Of Fatal House Fire In Camden Co. IDed As Young Couple, Puerto Rico Natives

PENNSAUKEN, NJ — The victims of Friday's double-fatal house fire in Pennsauken were a young couple from Puerto Rico, according to loves ones.

Alex Joel Rivera Ortiz, 25, and his partner Nayelis Rolón, 23, died in the fire, according to Alex's mother, Darlene Ortiz.

The powerful blaze emerge around 11:30 p.m. on the Fourth of July. First responders arrived to flames roaring through the second floor of the house on the 1600 block of 48th Street.

Two people had been unaccounted for. Firefighters found them on the second floor and carried them outside, where they were pronounced dead.

The victims lived in Pennsauken but hail from Puerto Rico, according to El Nuevo Día, a Puerto Rican news outlet.

Darlene Ortiz wants to bring her son's remains back to Puerto Rico. She created a GoFundMe, which has generated $8,691 toward its $9,000 goal as of this writing.

Photos shared by the Pennsauken Fire Department show heavy flames tearing through the roof and second-floor windows.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control in 40 minutes, officials said.

The cause of the fire has not been released as of Monday.

The Pennsauken, Camden County and state fire marshal's offices have investigating the fire with township police and the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.

With reporting from Fernando Haro/Patch staff.