Family With 3 Boys 'Lost Everything' In Bergen County Fire

PARAMUS, NJ — A family of five "lost everything they had worked so hard for" in a New Year's Day fire in Paramus, said a family friend who's raising funds.

The two-alarm blaze tore through the home on Spring Valley Road around 2 a.m. on Jan. 1, according to officials.

While police initially said fireworks to celebrate New Year's Day might have caused the blaze, Fire Chief Daniel Perez later clarified that an investigation found no evidence of explosives as the cause.

The Paramus Fire Department began accepting donations of clothes and other items after the fire, but said in a message on Saturday that they are no longer taking those items, pointing people to an online fundraiser.

"We have been overwhelmed with the amount of donations coming in," the department wrote. "We are out of storage room (not a terrible problem to have). If you are looking to help please make a donation on the GoFundMe page. We will not be accepting anymore clothing donations after tonight."

The GoFundMe had raised $15,707 toward the $20,000 goal as of Wednesday.

"A fast-moving fire tore through their home, leaving them with nothing but the clothes on their backs," says the page. "Alban Laci, his wife, and their three young boys lost everything they had worked so hard for over the years.

"He [Alban] is a hardworking, humble, and loving family man who, along with his wife, invested their entire life savings into their home. The family is now left with the daunting task of starting over."

The fundraiser noted that the youngest child is 5 years old, and with school about to resume after break, "The children have lost their toys, clothes, and the only sense of security they knew."

The fundraiser is here.

Details

Around 2 a.m., according to Police Chief Robert Guidetti, officials responded to the fire at the rear of a two-and-a-half story home. The family was already evacuating, he said.

The fire caused "extensive damage" and the house could not be lived in until it was repaired, said Fire Chief Perez.

READ MORE: Family Flees New Year's Day Blaze In Paramus