Long Valley Renter Loses Everything In Fire That Killed Landlord

LONG VALLEY, NJ — A Long Valley man lost everything in a fire that killed his landlord last week, and the community is helping him get back on his feet.

Paul Winters pulled into his home driveway after a shift at work, only to see there was no home left. A fire tore through the Pickle Road home, destroying everything inside, killing his rabbit and car, and killing Winters' landlord.

A fundraiser has been set up by Winters' coworkers at AAA Worldwide Transportation, where he has worked for the past five years, to help him get back on his feet.

"We decided to put this page up so that anyone moved to do so, can help us help Paul. The material things are lost. His beloved pets lost. His friend and landlord tragically lost," coworkers wrote on a GoFundMe page. "I can not imagine what he must be feeling inside, but I know Paul and he is putting a positive step forward knowing life moves on, and he is thankful for what he has that is irreplaceable. We mourn with him for his friend and landlord and his sudden loss."

The fire broke out around 10:30 p.m. at a Pickle Road home on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, killing one. Officials are not releasing the name of the person killed at this time, Morris County Prosecutor Fredrick M. Knapp said. An investigation into the fire remains ongoing, Knapp said. He did not say if the fire is considered suspicious or not.

According to coworkers, Winters was left with two things: the clothes on his back, and the car he drove to work in. "This morning, he had on the white shirt, red tie, black slacks, fancy shiny black shoes, and jacket that he had on when he left work last night. That's all he has left, just the clothes on his back," a coworker said.

Some things, like clothing, will be replaceable, but others will not be, like his beloved pet rabbit that just survived a stroke.

"He said he went back to the house this morning to see if there was anything salvageable, and he said there was nothing, and he saw his rabbit's melted cage," a coworker said, adding, "He said he gave her lots of love in her life, and he remembered trimming her nails, and when he was finished, she would fall asleep in his lap."

Winters is currently staying with a coworker, and his work friends are hoping the fundraiser will help make rebuilding easier. So far, $1,720 has been raised towards a $5,000 goal.

Image via Mayor Matt Murello. GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.