On Wednesday, a devastating incident took place in Roosevelt, New Jersey. A woman, who had been living in a home with several cats, set a fire after being issued an eviction notice.
Officials have stated that the fire started at around 11 o’clock in the morning after the unidentified woman refused to vacate the property after receiving an eviction notice from police.
New Jersey State Police Lieutenant Lawrence Peele said that there were signs that the woman had activated the gas before causing the fire.
Peele stated that the firefighters had to evacuate the neighboring areas, and multiple fire departments were called in to save the woman, though she and the cats did not survive.
Erin Luca, a nearby resident, stated that the police had warned them to leave the area due to the woman’s threats to bomb the house which ended up burning down.
According to reports the woman’s boyfriend had been trying to evict her for a while but Governor Phil Murphy’s eviction moratorium due to the pandemic had blocked his efforts.
Mayor Peggy Malkin of Roosevelt said that the woman had built a “cat house” for the cats to stay in. The actual amount of cats that were killed in the fire is yet to be confirmed.
PSE&G is currently examining the area, and officials are advising people to stay away from the residence as it is not safe.