By Greg Ellison

(March 11, 2021) Hundreds of people have given support to the Morris family after a Saturday morning fire gutted their home on Sandy Hook Road in Ocean Pines.

The Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department responded just after 7:15 a.m. for a blaze that reportedly originated on the front porch and quickly spread inside the home, with flames eventually reaching the exterior of an adjacent residence.

The severity of the fire was such that neighboring fire departments —Berlin, Bishopville, Ocean City, Showell, and Selbyville — were called to assist the Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department.

Ocean Pines Fire Chief Steve Grunewald directed command operations at the scene and reported that rescue crews were hampered by heavy smoke inside the structure.

The Worcester County Fire Marshal’s Office took over the scene to investigate cause once the flames were extinguished.

One firefighter was taken to Atlantic General Hospital after sustaining non-life threatening injuries and later released.

Photo courtesy Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department
Ocean Pines First Assistant Fire Chief Joe Widgeon crawls in with fellow first responders to inspect incinerated attic eaves after a home on Sandy Hook Road went up in flames on Saturday.

After learning the house fire left the Morris family, including both teenagers and grandchildren, temporarily homeless, members of the community quickly organized a campaign to help.

Colby Phillips said a Gofundme page was initiated and publicized on the Local Help for You Worcester County Facebook page.

“I set it at $10,000 and it’s already at just about $9,000 in under a week,” she said.

After making contact with the family, Phillips said the instant outpouring of aid stunned the children’s mother, Ebony Morris.

“I’ve spoken to the mom a few times and she is just thanking the Lord and overwhelmed with people she doesn’t know giving so much support,” she said.

In addition to her teenage children, Ebony Morris also had houseguests last weekend, Phillips said.

“Her grandbabies, who don’t reside there, were also visiting,” she said.

After news of the tragedy spread on the Local Help For You page and elsewhere, community members obtained clothing sizes for the various family members with several drop-off sites established to collect donations.

“Immediately, Aunt Jenny’s Unique Creations and the Sweet Shack in Ocean Pines and the Sports Core Pool offered to be drop-off sites for clothing and necessities that the family needed,” she said.

Phillips plans to collect and deliver the donated items to the family this week.

Other Pines-based groups have also stepped up to the plate.

“The Ocean Pines Platform Tennis club has donated almost $2,000 separate from the gofundme that they actually hand-delivered,” she said.

At present, the Morris family has been temporarily relocated to a hotel and is receiving assistance from the Red Cross.

Although damages to the neighboring structure were limited to exterior sections, the Morris home was left in near ruins.

“I think it will definitely be a total rebuild,” she said.

Phillips said the response to the Morris’s plight by nearly 300 people is yet another example of robust community support in the area.

“Worcester County as a whole, when there is a crisis or a tragedy, everybody steps up,” she said. “We are so lucky to live here because people truly care about each other.”

To donate, search Sandyhook House Fire OP or visit gofundme.com/f/sandyhook-house-fire-op?utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer.