By: Richard L. Smith
A devastating multi-alarm fire tore through a row of homes in Trenton late Friday night, leaving one person dead, multiple families displaced and several properties destroyed.
The American Red Cross has been called in to assist affected residents.
The blaze broke out around 10:50 p.m. in the 1200 block of North Olden Avenue, prompting several 911 calls reporting flames and possible trapped individuals inside one of the homes.
When Trenton firefighters arrived on scene, they encountered a fully engulfed structure fire, with flames already spreading rapidly to adjacent homes.
Crews immediately struck second and third alarms to bring in additional manpower as they launched a search and rescue operation to locate any possible victims.
Firefighters stretched multiple hose lines in an attempt to douse the flames and contain the fire, which quickly spread to neighboring homes, ultimately involving at least four structures.
One home was completely destroyed, and others sustained heavy damage.
As conditions worsened, commanders issued a Mayday alert, ordering all personnel to evacuate the structures due to safety concerns.
Fortunately, all firefighters were safely accounted for.
Crews then transitioned to a defensive strategy, surrounding the blaze and working from the outside to bring the fire under control.
By approximately 1:30 a.m. Saturday, officials confirmed that the main fire had been knocked down.
At least one person was found dead and the number of residents displaced has not yet been released. 
The American Red Cross is currently assisting those who lost their homes in the fire.
The cause of the fire remains under active investigation by Trenton fire and emergency officials.