What would have been a normal Friday a week before Halloween changed when a fire ripped through the homes of 20 families living in Avalon Court apartment complex in Voorhees. Because of the severity of the fire, these families have lost many of their belongings and been displaced.
“It was blazing everywhere, a big fire,” said Larry Spellman, township administrator, who saw the fire from afar at a park.
In the wake of the fire, the people of Voorhees and Camden County have come together to help the families affected by the fire on Friday, Oct. 24. The South Jersey Region American Red Cross provided the 20 families with help for three days after the fire, then Voorhees residents stepped in by taking donations and starting a fundraiser.
According to Fire District Chief James J. Pacifico Jr., the fire started at approximately 11:40 a.m. At approximately 3 p.m., the fire was brought under control. All fire units cleared the scene of the fire at midnight.
No residents were injured. According to Mayor Michael Mignogna, three police officers and one firefighter were treated for smoke inhalation and released the same day. Pacifico said most of the pets were saved, except for one cat that perished in the fire.
“The fire at this time is still under investigation. When we find out, the reports will be released,” Pacifico said.
Residents and management of the Club at Main Street apartments as well as the Red Cross have found other places for the residents to stay since the fire.
“The assistance we provide is immediate,” said Laura Steinmetz, chief communications officer for South Jersey Region American Red Cross.
For the first three days after the fire, the Red Cross provided lodging, food, replacement of glasses and prescription drugs and provided affected residents with client assistance cards that help them purchase items they need.
“It helps to empower the person toward their recovery,” Steinmetz said.
After three days of lodging, the Red Cross tells them where they can go for further assistance.
Since the fire, management of the Club at Main Street apartments said they did not sponsor any collections or fundraising drives, but friends and neighbors of the displaced residents held a drive that was met with overwhelming response. They gave food and clothing to help those affected. One resident took it upon herself to collect money for gift cards to give the families.
Also, online there is a Voorhees Avalon Court Apartment Fire Fundraiser on www.giveforward.com. The goal was to get $5,000, but the donations have exceeded that, up to $8,723. According to the webpage, many of the families currently do not have housing, making it difficult to collect and store donated items. Proceeds will be used to provide assistance with immediate expenses like meals, toiletries, animal lodging and other incidentals.
To help the families of Avalon Court who were affected by the fire go to www.give forward.com/fundraiser/90b6/voorhees-avalon-court-apartment-fire-fundraiser. To help other families in the county as well as those in south Jersey go to www.redcross.com/nj/camden.
Edit: In the Nov. 5 edition of the paper this article said that those treated for smoke inhalation were treated and released the next day when in fact they were released the same day. This article has been changed to reflect this correction.
