A 73-year-old man was killed in a house fire on Sept. 16 in the 400 block of Walnut Street.
He was indentified as William J. Garthaus Jr., whose home Haddonfield police and firefighters responded to after a call from there at 6:57 a.m. After battling heavy smoke on the home’s roof, firefighters found Garthaus unconscious inside his front door. Despite lifesaving efforts, he was prounced dead at the scene. His pet cat also perished.
A borough officer and an EMT were treated at the scene for minor smoke
inhalation, but there were no other injuries. The cause of the fire has not been determined. It is under investigation by the fire and police departments, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and the county and state fire marshal’s offices, among others.
