Authorities identify 7-year-old boy killed in N.J. house fire – NJ.com

Authorities on Friday identified the 7-year-old boy who was killed in a Newark house fire earlier this week.

Sahir Hartfield died at the scene of the early Thursday blaze in the city’s South Ward, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. Firefighters found the child’s body on the third floor of the Astor Street residence, authorities said.

“(His) father escaped the home through the front door and attempted to re-enter via the roof” from the house next door, Newark Public Safety Director Brian A. O’Hara said Thursday. “He was removed from the roof by Newark firefighters via ground ladder.”

Two adults in total along with three other children, ages 1, 5 and 11 escaped the inferno, according to authorities.

Emergency crews received reports of the fire shortly before 5 a.m. and brought the flames under control by 5:15 a.m., O’Hara said.

The prosecutor’s office did not immediately comment on a possible cause of the fire. An investigation was ongoing.

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Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com.