Blaze Destroys Galloway Home; Two Firefighters Hurt
At about 6 p.m., an excavator was heading to 401 S. Pitney Road to tear down the mustard-colored, stucco structure. Nearly nine hours earlier, flames broke out for reasons still not known. Officials decided to demolish the house because they could not otherwise fully extinguish the fire, according to Galloway Township Fire Chief Rodney Calimer....Continue Reading
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At one point, shotgun shells inside the house exploded, (listen to the audio) prompting firefighters to temporarily retreat.
Homeowner James Tarby, a carpenter who hunts as a hobby, was at work in Atlantic City when the fire started. His wife was sleeping when the smell of smoke woke her. She called 911 and escaped safely.
The Tarbys own a rental unit adjacent to their former home. It happens to be empty, so they will stay there, Tarby said Monday afternoon.
Tarby stood in the snow, bare hands stuffed in his coat pockets as he stared at the century-old structure where he raised his three children, who quickly arrived at the scene Monday from their homes in Galloway and Mullica townships. Long before he moved there in 1968, it sat on the White Horse Pike next to the former Pomona firehouse, but it was moved to 401 S. Pitney Road, he said. Each time firefighters would hose a hot spot, smoky steam obscured the house.
"I was coming down Jimmie Leeds Road and when I saw the house, I thought it must be gone," he said. "I put so much work into that place, it's heartbreaking. It's too cold for tears."
Tarby built an addition that doubled the size of the house.
The Absecon Fire Department and Bayview, Pomona, Oceanville, Germania and South Egg Harbor Fire Companies responded, along with Galloway police.
Pomona Avenue was barricaded for most of the day from Langley Avenue to Jimmie Leeds Road.
E-mail Emily Previti: epreviti@pressofac.com
This story was taken from the news source stated above. It is not the opinion of The Elwood Vol. Fire Company or it's members.
