A fire displaced two Atlantic City families Friday, but firefighters were able to save a neighboring home from the wind-fueled blaze.
Firefighters were called to the duplex in the 500 block of North Elberon Avenue at 3:46 p.m., Fire Chief Scott Evans said.
The fire was in the attic and had extended to the second-floor bedroom.
It also was licking at the house next door, resident John Dollard said.
The retired city police officer was getting ready to pick up his daughter when his dog started barking, he said.
He went outside to see his neighbor two doors down telling him the house was on fire.
Dollard then looked to his other side, and saw the woman's husband banging on the house next door, where smoke was coming out of the eaves.
"I saw fire bust through the attic window, and then heard the fire engines coming," he told BreakingAC.
The scene was intense, he said.
"I realized my house was in danger as the flames were licking my house," Dollard said. "But I realized there was nothing I could do."
The responding firefighters could.
They quickly got everything together and, before putting water on the originating fire, were able to extinguish the small flames on Dollard's home, he said.
"Thank God, they save my house," said Dollard, who posted video on Facebook showing the response.
Next door, "the fire was quickly extinguished with a quick interior attack from Engine 5 Capt. Dean Jones," Evans said.
Engine 4 knocked down the fire next door.
The fire displaced two families, including five adults and five children.
