(Nov. 3, 2016) One of the largest fires in recent years destroyed a home in Ocean Pines last week, leaving four residents in their early 20s displaced and in a state of shock.
Out of those ashes, however, a community has come together to support them.
According to Ocean Pines Fire Department Chief Steve Grunewald, a 911 call came in at about 12:30 a.m. on Thursday and his company was the first to respond to the home on 173 Sandyhook Road.
Things developed quickly.
“I was there within six minutes of the call and the fire was through the roof already,” Grunewald said. “I immediately pulled a second alarm.”
Additional responders included companies from Showell, Berlin, Bishopville, Newark, Ocean City and Willards in Maryland, as well as Selbyville, Roxana and Frankford, Delaware.
“Every company was utilized,” Grunewald said. “There was several hours of overhaul that was needed – it was a big house. We were there a good four-and-a-half hours.”
Four residents, Katie Wolfe, Tyler Eldridge, Nicolas Staub and Sam Thompson, escaped unharmed. Apparently one of the residents was still awake and was able to alert the others, who were sleeping.
When she awoke, Wolfe said her immediate reaction was to “scream for my other roommates and my dog.”
“We were [outside] until about 4 in the morning,” she said. “It was freezing – I was sleeping in my winter jacket because we hadn’t turned the heat on. It was awful.”
She added that “it was close” getting everyone, including her dog, outside safely.
A fifth person, a female friend of the residents who was staying for the night, also escaped without injury.
“It was very remarkable and they’re extremely lucky that they were able to get out,” Grunewald said. “The house is a total loss, but there were no firefighter injuries or civilian-related injuries.
“It was a very good teamwork approach by all the fire companies,” he added. “With everybody working together, we were actually able to save the houses on the exposure side.”
He said one of the neighboring homes did sustain minor “heat damage” to the siding because of the radiant heat.
Asked when Grunewald could recall another fire in Ocean Pines of that magnitude he replied, “It’s been a couple years since we’ve had one that was that involved that fast.”
The cause of the fire is undetermined and an investigation by the Worcester County Fire Marshal’s office is ongoing.
Just hours after the inferno occurred, Wolfe’s mother, Joan Trice, started a GoFundMe page to help the four residents recover everything they had lost. As of Tuesday, more than $8,700 had been collected from 96 different donors.
Wolfe said “some better than others” were dealing with the loss of their home and virtually all of their possessions.
“It’s going to take a while to get back to normal – emotionally and physically,” she said.
“I just want to thank everyone and tell everyone how grateful we are for all the support within the community,” she continued. “It’s overwhelming. We’re just really thankful to be here to thank the people that are helping us and have helped us.”
Thompson added, “It breaks my heart” to see the outpouring of support from the community.
“It’s very emotional,” he said.
He also praised the responders for their role in controlling the blaze.
“They were there and helping and running in and out of the house,” he said. “It’s just incredible how they all functioned so appropriately.”
According to Trice, other news outlets had erroneously reported that the home had five tenants, and said the fifth person who was in the house at the time of the fire was taking advantage of that fact.
“The other girl that was there that night was not a tenant – I’d never even met her before,” Trice said. “She’s representing that she’s lost everything, but her belongings are intact in her apartment. The kids are more than a little upset about that because she’s profiteering from it.”
However, the four residents, Trice said, “lost everything but what they went to bed in.”
“The kids are not doing well, to be honest with you,” she said. “They were really traumatized by the whole thing.”
As she understands it, Trice said Staub was still awake, playing video games, when the blaze broke out.
“Nicholas, I guess, saw the flames at the same time a smoke detector went off and got them all up and out,” she said. “I gather they had minutes to get out of the house – it really went up really fast.”
At about 2 a.m., she said a sheriff arrived at her front door.
“That’s not something you want to experience,” she said.
Trice said the house “surprisingly doesn’t look that bad from the street,” but that the rear of the building was decimated.
She speculated that faulty wiring might have been the cause of the fire.
Trice, who owns and operates the Allterra Group real estate company in Ocean City, bought the home in December and said the previous owner lived largely “off the grid” and was prone to somewhat idiosyncratic do-it-yourself projects.
On the first night after the incident, all four roommates stayed at her house.
“Thank God for 24-hour Walmart” Trice said. “I was able to pick up some sweats and underwear and socks and T-shirts. They didn’t even have shoes. They’re one by one getting their stuff together.”
Her daughter continues to stay with her, while the others are with various friends and family.
“They all want me to rebuild the house and move back in together,” she said. “I think they feel like they’ve all been on the life raft together, so they’re hanging tight.”
Trice said friends and family “from all over the country” came together quickly to help during the ensuing days, with one business associate even donating $1,000.
Along with monetary donations, she said some of the roommates are looking for employment. Several worked in restaurants in Ocean City that recently closed or scaled back for the season.
To help, contact Trice at 513-659-1656 or email jtrice@allterragroup.com.
To view the GoFundMe page, visit www.gofundme.com/fire-loss-2w9tf44?rcid=c535bc8aa03a11e6b44bbc764e04c5a7 or search “fire loss Ocean Pines” at www.GoFundMe.com.
Out of those ashes, however, a community has come together to support them.
According to Ocean Pines Fire Department Chief Steve Grunewald, a 911 call came in at about 12:30 a.m. on Thursday and his company was the first to respond to the home on 173 Sandyhook Road.
Things developed quickly.
“I was there within six minutes of the call and the fire was through the roof already,” Grunewald said. “I immediately pulled a second alarm.”
Additional responders included companies from Showell, Berlin, Bishopville, Newark, Ocean City and Willards in Maryland, as well as Selbyville, Roxana and Frankford, Delaware.
“Every company was utilized,” Grunewald said. “There was several hours of overhaul that was needed – it was a big house. We were there a good four-and-a-half hours.”
Four residents, Katie Wolfe, Tyler Eldridge, Nicolas Staub and Sam Thompson, escaped unharmed. Apparently one of the residents was still awake and was able to alert the others, who were sleeping.
When she awoke, Wolfe said her immediate reaction was to “scream for my other roommates and my dog.”
“We were [outside] until about 4 in the morning,” she said. “It was freezing – I was sleeping in my winter jacket because we hadn’t turned the heat on. It was awful.”
She added that “it was close” getting everyone, including her dog, outside safely.
A fifth person, a female friend of the residents who was staying for the night, also escaped without injury.
“It was very remarkable and they’re extremely lucky that they were able to get out,” Grunewald said. “The house is a total loss, but there were no firefighter injuries or civilian-related injuries.
“It was a very good teamwork approach by all the fire companies,” he added. “With everybody working together, we were actually able to save the houses on the exposure side.”
He said one of the neighboring homes did sustain minor “heat damage” to the siding because of the radiant heat.
Asked when Grunewald could recall another fire in Ocean Pines of that magnitude he replied, “It’s been a couple years since we’ve had one that was that involved that fast.”
The cause of the fire is undetermined and an investigation by the Worcester County Fire Marshal’s office is ongoing.
Just hours after the inferno occurred, Wolfe’s mother, Joan Trice, started a GoFundMe page to help the four residents recover everything they had lost. As of Tuesday, more than $8,700 had been collected from 96 different donors.
Wolfe said “some better than others” were dealing with the loss of their home and virtually all of their possessions.
“It’s going to take a while to get back to normal – emotionally and physically,” she said.
“I just want to thank everyone and tell everyone how grateful we are for all the support within the community,” she continued. “It’s overwhelming. We’re just really thankful to be here to thank the people that are helping us and have helped us.”
Thompson added, “It breaks my heart” to see the outpouring of support from the community.
“It’s very emotional,” he said.
He also praised the responders for their role in controlling the blaze.
“They were there and helping and running in and out of the house,” he said. “It’s just incredible how they all functioned so appropriately.”
According to Trice, other news outlets had erroneously reported that the home had five tenants, and said the fifth person who was in the house at the time of the fire was taking advantage of that fact.
“The other girl that was there that night was not a tenant – I’d never even met her before,” Trice said. “She’s representing that she’s lost everything, but her belongings are intact in her apartment. The kids are more than a little upset about that because she’s profiteering from it.”
However, the four residents, Trice said, “lost everything but what they went to bed in.”
“The kids are not doing well, to be honest with you,” she said. “They were really traumatized by the whole thing.”
As she understands it, Trice said Staub was still awake, playing video games, when the blaze broke out.
“Nicholas, I guess, saw the flames at the same time a smoke detector went off and got them all up and out,” she said. “I gather they had minutes to get out of the house – it really went up really fast.”
At about 2 a.m., she said a sheriff arrived at her front door.
“That’s not something you want to experience,” she said.
Trice said the house “surprisingly doesn’t look that bad from the street,” but that the rear of the building was decimated.
She speculated that faulty wiring might have been the cause of the fire.
Trice, who owns and operates the Allterra Group real estate company in Ocean City, bought the home in December and said the previous owner lived largely “off the grid” and was prone to somewhat idiosyncratic do-it-yourself projects.
On the first night after the incident, all four roommates stayed at her house.
“Thank God for 24-hour Walmart” Trice said. “I was able to pick up some sweats and underwear and socks and T-shirts. They didn’t even have shoes. They’re one by one getting their stuff together.”
Her daughter continues to stay with her, while the others are with various friends and family.
“They all want me to rebuild the house and move back in together,” she said. “I think they feel like they’ve all been on the life raft together, so they’re hanging tight.”
Trice said friends and family “from all over the country” came together quickly to help during the ensuing days, with one business associate even donating $1,000.
Along with monetary donations, she said some of the roommates are looking for employment. Several worked in restaurants in Ocean City that recently closed or scaled back for the season.
To help, contact Trice at 513-659-1656 or email jtrice@allterragroup.com.
To view the GoFundMe page, visit www.gofundme.com/fire-loss-2w9tf44?rcid=c535bc8aa03a11e6b44bbc764e04c5a7 or search “fire loss Ocean Pines” at www.GoFundMe.com.