By: Richard L. Smith
In the aftermath of a devastating fire on North Olden Avenue Friday night, Red Cross volunteers are stepping in to support dozens of people left without homes and nightly essentials.
The blaze tore through seven homes beginning around 10:30 p.m. in the 1200 block of North Olden Avenue in Trenton.
It escalated quickly into a three-alarm fire that left an 18-year-old Trenton Central High School student dead, injured three others, and forced 22 residents from three families out of their homes.
Red Cross New Jersey officials said their volunteers responded shortly after the fire, providing emergency aid to 16 people in three families.
Assistance included temporary lodging, clothing, food, and other immediate needs while they work to reconnect with more affected households.
Local officials confirmed multiple homes were destroyed, and the fire also injured several people, including at least one firefighter.
Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing. 
The Red Cross and city agencies are coordinating efforts to help those displaced get back on their feet.