East Orange Man Dies In Fire At Senior Apartment Building

EAST ORANGE, NJ — A fire at an apartment building in East Orange claimed the life of a 61-year-old resident on Monday morning, authorities said.

The fatal fire took place around 4:30 a.m. at Norman Towers, a high-rise residential complex at 500 North Walnut Street that houses low-income seniors, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Charles Rodgers, 61, who lived alone in the unit where the fire started, was pronounced dead at 5:36 a.m., authorities said.

“The preliminary investigation indicates the fire likely started in the kitchen,” prosecutors said.

An investigation is ongoing. No additional information was immediately available.

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