The deaths of an elderly man and his daughter who were killed when a fire roared through their northern New Jersey home have been ruled an accident.
Union County prosecutors say 85-year-old Russell Johnson and 65-year-old Cynthia Johnson both died of smoke inhalation. They were found unresponsive in the Elizabeth home and died a short time later at a hospital.
Authorities say the fire at the 2 ½-story home in the 1100 block of Fairmount Avenue broke out around 6 p.m. Sunday. Flames were shooting from the attic of the structure when dozens of firefighters arrived.
"It started in the second level and I knew it was going to go up to attic because it was sparking up and everything," neighbor Alden Daniel said.
Investigators say it appears that the fire was "electrical in nature," but the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
Neighbors said the victims were a man and his hearing-impaired daughter who lived on the second floor of the building.
No other injuries were reported in the fire.
