Plastic Flower Decorations Fueled Deadly Newark Fire, Prosecutor Says

Decorative plastic flowers that covered the porch and climbed up to the second floor further fueled a fast-moving fire early Sunday morning that claimed the lives of six extended family members in Newark's South Ward.

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray on Monday called the decorations "highly flammable" and "served as a conduit" for the fire that tore through the South 15th Street home shortly after 4 a.m. Sunday, according to NJ.com.

It remains unknown what initially ignited the plastic flowers in the home that had no smoke detectors, according to NJ.com.