Former Cop's Widow Killed In West Deptford House Fire: Police

WEST DEPTFORD, NJ — The 75-year-old widow of a West Deptford police officer who passed away in 2016 was killed in an early morning fire on Monday. A firefighter who was injured while battling the blaze was also hospitalized.

Jacqueline Truss was killed in the fire that broke out on the 1500 block of Division Street in West Deptford just before 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 26, according to the West Deptford Police Department.

The fire was so ferocious, police officers were unable to enter the home upon arrival. Responding fire departments were forced to battle the blaze from outside the building.

It took firefighters several hours to bring the fire under control, but Truss lost her life in the blaze. Truss was the widow of retired West Deptford Police Officer George Truss.

A firefighter was hospitalized with minor smoke inhalation, but was expected to recover, according to Fox 29. Neighbors said they heard a loud bang before the fire broke out.

The cause of the fire was accidental, West Deptford Police Chief Sean McKenna told Patch late Monday morning.

"It appears that the fire started in a small drum in the NE corner of the home by the rear deck," McKenna said. "There was a secondary explosion that was believed to be a kerosene tank."

The cause was determined using video footage, police said. A tree limb caught fire, sparking the blaze. Brush was in a drum from yard work that the family had done earlier in the day, according to NBC 10.

"The fire spread throughout the residence within minutes and took hours to extinguish," police said. "The West Deptford Police Department would like to extend our condolences and deepest sympathy to the Truss family."

"I grabbed a brick and threw it in the window… trying to let the smoke out," one neighbor told CBS 3."She was a nice lady. I used to carry her groceries in for her."

Truss's husband, George Truss, was a police officer for 32 years before retiring with good standing from the department. He died in 2015, according to his online obituary. They were married for 39 years at the time of his passing.

Jacqueline Truss was a graduate of Woodbury Senior High School, according to her Facebook profile. She leaves behind 13 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren, a friend told 6 ABC.

The Verga, Greenfields, Thorofare and Colonial Manor fire departments along with National Park, Westville and Woodbury Heights fire departments all responded to the scene and helped bring the fire under control.