One man in a single-family home on Walnut Street did not survive the incident.
By Matt Skoufalos | September 16, 2024
UPDATE: (Monday, September 16, 2024 – 4 p.m.) A house fire in Haddonfield Monday morning claimed the life of a borough senior.
First responders were dispatched to the 400 block of Walnut Street shortly before 7 a.m. when a neighbor passing by reported smoke from a single-family home.
Companies responded within minutes, but were not able to prevent the death of its lone occupant, identified by authorities as 73-year-old William J. Garthaus, Jr.
First on the scene were Haddonfield police and EMS crews, followed by fire companies from Cherry Hill Haddonfield, Audubon, Haddon Heights-Barrington, Lawnside, Oaklyn, Somerdale, and Westmont, as well as paramedics from Barrington, Magnolia, and Virtua Health System.
Haddonfield Fire Chief Pat Gorman said police and EMTs breached the front door and removed Garthaus, Jr. almost immediately upon arrival.
Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. A secondary search for other occupants of the home was negative. Sadly, authorities reported that Garthaus, Jr.’s pet cat also perished in the incident.
Two Haddonfield police officers and EMTs were treated at the scene for minor smoke inhalation.
The fire was placed under control within 25 minutes, and by 9:02 a.m., detectives from the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office were removing Garthaus’ body from the scene.
The fire will be investigated by multiple agencies, including the Camden County Fire Marshal, Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, and local police, but Haddonfield Police Chief Jason Cutler said the fire is not believed to be suspicious.
The last known fatal fire in Haddonfield occurred on Truman Avenue in the late 1990s, according to Haddon Fire Company Trustee Don Hensel.
Gorman attributed the rarity of fire death in the community to strong fire code enforcement, fire prevention efforts, and the rapid response of Borough firefighters to fire scenes, including the stipend crew that led Monday morning’s efforts.
The chief said it was unclear whether smoke detectors in the home on Walnut Street were operational Monday.
“It’s a sad day,” Gorman said. “We train for saving people. The real kudos goes to EMS and police who made the first entry.”
While mourning the sudden loss of the fire victim, Haddonfield Mayor Colleen Bianco Bezich said she was “incredibly grateful for the quick action and responsiveness of our first responders.”
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