Crime & Safety
1 Charged After Fire Rips Through Storage Facility In South Jersey
A Green Creek resident was charged with arson after a fire he lit in storage unit grew and tore through the facility, police said.
MIDDLE TWP., NJ — A Green Creek man was charged with arson after causing a fire that tore through a Middle Township storage facility, authorities said.
The fire at Burleigh Storage was reported shortly before 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Middle Township police said. When officers arrived, they found several units engulfed in flames, and fire personnel were immediately called to the scene.
Numerous fire agencies throughout Cape May County were called to battle the blaze, which took several hours to put out. Photos from the fire (see below) show flames ripping through storage units.
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One person was hospitalized for smoke inhalation, police said.
Investigation found that Salvatore Gellura was working in his storage unit and lit cardboard in a metal tube to keep warm, police said.
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Shortly after, the fire spread beyond the container, and Gellura was unable to contain it, according to police.
He was charged with arson and false reports to law enforcement. Gellura now sits in the Cape May County Correctional Facility.
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