Red Cross aids Millville families after separate home fires, toddler rescued

Red Cross New Jersey volunteers stepped in after separate Millville house fires on Cedar Street and Dorset Avenue left two families scrambling for help, while firefighters rescued a toddler from the roof of the Dorset Avenue home early Saturday. The Red Cross said it provided temporary lodging, food, clothing and disaster health and mental health services to the affected families of two and three.

City firefighters responded to the Dorset Avenue fire at about 4 a.m., and crews rescued the toddler from the roof along with another person who was inside the house. The response underscored how fast a house fire can force residents out with little more than the clothes they are wearing, then push them into a short-term search for shelter, transportation and basic necessities.

The American Red Cross New Jersey Region serves the entire state and says it can help with emergency shelter and other disaster services when a home fire forces residents out. The regional operation has offices in places including Princeton, Camden, Pennsauken and Fairfield, giving it a statewide footprint that can be activated quickly after a blaze.

Millville has already seen how wide the damage from a single fire can spread. On April 9, 2025, a fire on the 300 block of South 4th Street spread to six homes, displaced 23 people and killed two girls, Valery Mariana Cardona Gómez, 13, and Gissel Samanta Cardona Gómez, 11. Rubble continued to smolder hours later as the block was still being picked through, and the losses triggered a broad wave of community aid.

That earlier response included a partnership between AAA South Jersey, the American Red Cross and the Holly City Development Corporation to deliver gift cards and items directly to affected families. The pattern in Millville has been clear: the first layer of help comes from firefighters and the Red Cross, but the longer recovery often depends on neighbors, donors and local groups that can fill the gaps with cash, clothing and household goods.

For Cumberland County families, the Red Cross remains the immediate emergency option when fire displaces a household, while local partners can help extend support after the initial crisis passes. In a city that has now faced more than one devastating home fire, the difference between a temporary disruption and a longer recovery often comes down to how quickly that network comes together.