4 Woodbridge Small Businesses Work To Rebuild After St. Georges Ave. Fire

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Four small businesses in Woodbridge's Avenel section are now struggling to reopen after the building they were in was destroyed Saturday in a fire.

This was the fire that broke out just before 3 a.m. Saturday at 1256 St. Georges Avenue. The strip mall housed four apartments on the second floor and four small businesses on street level. The five businesses that were destroyed were: Longtime Woodbridge dog groomer Colleen's Canine Clippers, Velez Jiu Jitsu martial arts, Dimensons Hair Salon, Omis Barber shop and a printing and marketing business on the corner.

The fire started on the second floor, and all four apartments upstairs were destroyed, according to MyCentralJersey. Two cats were killed in the fire, said a friend of a resident who lived upstairs.

That resident, a man, had to escape the fire by jumping from a second-floor window onto a side roof. He had been asleep "in concentrated smoke for a long time" before awaking to find the building was on fire, said his friend on this GoFundMe page she started for him.

It was his two cats that were killed in the fire. He was the last person to make it out of the building and had to be hospitalized due to smoke inhalation, she said. Another person had to be treated for cuts and bruises after they fell while trying to escape the fire.

There were no other injuries. The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental.

The building's roof also eventually collapsed and the entire building has been reduced "to ash and rubble," she said.

This GoFundMe was started for Colleen's Canine Clippers: https://www.gofundme.com/f/col... It was created by employee Jennifer Kuypers, who said she worked at the dog-grooming shop for more than 15 years.

"Colleen Murphy and her grooming shop has been a staple in the Woodbridge/Avenel community for over 35 years," wrote Kuypers. "As an Avenel native she needs our help more than ever ... All proceeds will go to helping Colleen with rebuilding her shop and any other expenses endured with her health until she can start taking care of our beloved animals again!"

This GoFundMe was started for Velez Jiu Jitsu, which said the money will be used to help the martial arts studio open in a new location. They said the St. Georges Avenue location "was a second home for many of us ... Together, we will rebuild what was lost and rise from the ashes stronger than ever."

And William Duarez of Avenel set up this GoFundme page for Omis Barber Shop. "A young, hardworking entrepreneur lost everything he had spent years building — his business and his home," it read. "Fortunately, all occupants managed to escape with their lives, with no fatalities, but there were significant material losses. Let’s all lend a helping hand and contribute a small grain of sand to help him rebuild and restore his business."

Finally, this GoFundMe was created to help a family of five that lost their home in the fire.