The five family members killed in a late-night house fire in Paterson, N.J., on Halloween were relatives of a state assemblyman, the politician confirmed over the weekend.
“Please keep my family in your prayers as we grieve the loss of my cousin, his wife, and their children,” state Assemblyman Al Abdelaziz (D-Passaic), posted on social media Saturday. “Our hearts are broken, but we trust that God will give us strength during these difficult times.”
Fire officials had not publicly identified the victims as of Monday morning, but the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office said earlier they were a 39-year-old man, a 38-year-old woman and three children aged 7, 12 and 14. Paterson Mayor André Sayegh said the man, Abu Hedba, was Abdelaziz’s cousin.
“He’s not doing well,” Sayegh told NBC News. “He and his family are full of sorrow.”
The fire broke out at 9:50 p.m. Friday and engulfed the small, wood-frame home almost immediately, officials and witnesses said. While the cause was still being investigated Monday, neighbors told News12 New Jersey that it appeared to start in the home’s backyard.
Twelve people were inside, neighbors said, seven on the first floor and the five victims on the second floor. Strong winds fanned the flames, swallowing a staircase on the outside of the house and sealing off the upper family’s only escape route, neighbor Fatima Ali told News12.
The seven people downstairs escaped but were unable to reach their relatives on the second floor, neighbors said. Firefighters likewise tried valiantly to save them, but the flames were too fierce.
