Elderly woman killed in bayonne apartment fire under investigation by arson task force

Elderly woman killed in Bayonne apartment fire under investigation by arson task force

BAYONNE, N.J. – Authorities are investigating a fatal fire that claimed the life of an 82-year-old woman Tuesday morning in Bayonne, according to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office.

Acting Prosecutor Wayne Mello said the Hudson County Regional Arson Task Force and the Bayonne Fire Department responded around 7:30 a.m. to reports of a fire at 537 Avenue A. Firefighters arriving at the scene found smoke coming from a third-floor apartment within a multi-story building.

During firefighting efforts, crews located an unresponsive woman inside a bedroom. The victim, identified as Irene Clark of Bayonne, was transported to Hudson Regional Hospital Bayonne, where she was pronounced dead shortly after 9:30 a.m.

Investigators from the Regional Arson Task Force and the Bayonne Fire Department are continuing to examine the cause of the blaze, though officials said foul play is not suspected at this stage.

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