All Families Displaced By Dover Fire Re-Homed

DOVER, NJ — One week after a devastating fire displaced dozens of people permanently, all have found new homes, Dover officials said.

The shelter has officially closed, and all 40 who were displaced are either in a new apartment, staying with family and friends, or are in a hotel waiting for new apartments to be ready, officials said. The youngest displaced person is just 25-days-old.

Mayor James P. Dodd contacted local property owners to find vacancies, arranged a meet and greet between landlords and those looking for homes, made sure all the families got their security deposit, and negotiated reduced hotel rates.

And they won't be moving into empty apartments. Morris Habitat for Humanity Restore will donate furniture and housewares to the displaces families, and Furniture House in Dover will provide whatever Habitat cannot, like mattresses.

It's not just businesses and organizations donating, officials said. One man was so moved after speaking with displaced residents that he donated $4,000 worth of gift cards to every family with children. He also donated two brand-new twin-sized mattresses.

Officials thanked the following groups for their efforts while the shelter was open: Red Cross, Morris County Human Services, Homeless Solutions (Zuly Tamariz), Homewood Suites by Hilton Dover, The Seven Day Adventist Church, St. John's Church, Trinity Church, First United Methodist Church, Habitat for Humanity Restore, Furniture House, Morris County Hispanic Affairs, Morris County Family Success Center, Salvation Army, El Tesoro Bakery, Sabor Latino, and Mayor James P. Dodd.

Buildings along West Blackwell and North Warren Streets were leveled by the flames, which broke out around 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 22. It took crews nearly six hours to get the fire under control, and they worked overnight into Tuesday to continue putting it out.

The fire started in the basement of Barry's Luncheonette, which was destroyed. The cause remains under investigation, but the severity was due to a natural gas line that was feeding the flames.

One police officer sustained minor injuries; other than that, there were no reported injuries, officials said. In total, 52 agencies responded to the fire.

Read More:

• 6 Businesses Totally Destroyed In Dover Fire: Prosecutor
• Stunning Video Shows Dover Fire Wreckage In Morris County
• How You Can Help The Dover Fire Victims

Image via Nicolas Limanov, used with permission