Monroe family loses holiday gifts to shed fire
BY TARA PETERSEN
Staff Writer

MONROE — Even though fire destroyed a majority of their holiday gifts, Denise Cole and her family still managed to enjoy Christmas.

The family lost its gifts in a fire that erupted in the shed outside their home on East Sedgewick Street around 10 p.m. Dec. 23.

"It happened during the three-hour blackout," Cole said. "A neighbor across the street saw it and hollered, ‘Get out of the house.’ Then I ran in to get my father out."

According to Cole, the shed contained presents for her 8- and 11-year-old grandnieces, who live with her, as well as for her grandnephews, ages 1 and 7.

"It was about 15 items — dolls, books, toys. It wasn’t all of them [that were destroyed] but it was a majority of them," Cole said.

Among the gifts was a new, four-wheel, all-terrain vehicle (ATV), costing about $2,000, which was to be given to the older children.

"It was their one big gift. They didn’t know they were getting it until we told them the next day [after the fire]. It was so sad to see their faces," Cole said. "But we still had a nice Christmas."

Cole said the shed also contained lawn tools, an air compressor and her father’s motorized wheelchair.

Most of the possessions, including the wheelchair, should be covered by insurance, according to Cole, but she was told that the ATV would not be covered because it is a motor vehicle.

"We are waiting for the insurance adjuster to come out. We’re going to try to do something to replace it because we feel bad that they know they were getting it," Cole said on Friday.

Cole said she felt lucky that the fire never spread to the house, which she estimated was only 20 feet away from the shed.

Monroe police Detective Sgt. Lawrence Linke agreed that the fire could have easily spread.

"The flames were 10 feet above the shed, climbing the trees. The flames were rolling up the sides," he said.

According to Linke, the fire was determined to have started inside the shed, but no specific cause has been identified.

"Officially the cause is unknown. There is no reason to believe it was purposefully set," Linke said.

Firefighters from all three Monroe fire districts responded, as well as the Jamesburg and Helmetta fire departments and the Monroe Township First Aid Squad.