Extension Cords Eyed In Deadly Rockaway Fire

ROCKAWAY TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The improper use of extension cords is one of the factors believed to be responsible for a house fire that killed a mother and her teenage son in Rockaway Township last week.

Authorities haven't determined the exact cause of the Jan. 18 blaze in the home on Green Pond Road, but said it does not appear suspicious.

The Morris County Prosecutor's Office said the extension cords were in the area where the fire began. Investigators said cold weather, high winds and an insufficient number of smoke detectors also played roles.

Fifty-nine-year-old Pamela Decker and her 17-year-old son, Daniel, died in the fire. They were found in an upstairs bedroom, authorities said.

The teen was trying to escape the blaze with his father when he turned around and ran back inside to rescue his mother after hearing her scream for help from upstairs, neighbors said.

The boy's father survived.

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