Fire Destroys Verona Family's Home, Pet Killed

Thursday, May 26, 2005

By OWEN PROCTOR

Verona-Cedar Grove Times

Fire destroyed a home at 69 Fairway Ave. in Verona last Thursday, May 19.

According to Police Chief Douglas Huber, a painter working in the neighborhood reported the blaze at 11:16 a.m. The Verona police and fire departments, and rescue squad all responded. West Orange, Cedar Grove and North Caldwell emergency personnel also provided assistance. The fire was contained in less than an hour, he said.

It apparently started in an office in the back of the house, Huber said. The cause is unknown, but foul play is not suspected, he said. The case is still under investigation.

Pockets of flames broke out at different locations in the home, working their way throughout the house and to the roof, making it difficult for firefighters to contain the blaze. The house was razed that afternoon. Homeowners Mark and Judi Leibert were not in the house when the fire broke out. Mark had left to go see a client only about 15 minutes before the call, Judi said. Their college-aged sons, Josh and Ben, were away at their summer theater jobs - Josh in Lenox, Mass., and Ben at Long Beach Island down the Shore.

The family's 4-year-old dog, River, perished in the blaze. "She was such a sweet dog," Judi said. The Leiberts had adopted the German Shepherd/Doberman/Rottweiler mix from a pet rescue center.

Authorities have condemned the home, and Judi described the place as "totaled." The Lieberts are temporarily living with the Fox family, their close friends and next door neighbors. They were still assessing the damage Tuesday afternoon. Their insurance company is working to find them another place to stay.

They plan to rebuild a home at the current location, which they've been told would take a minimum of six months. "The people in this town are so fabulous that I wouldn't leave it" said Judi, who grew up in Verona. "People I've never met have dropped off clothing. The outpouring is overwhelming."

The incident marks the worst Verona house fire since a Cumberland Avenue home was destroyed on Valentine's Day 2003. The morning fire started in the basement where renovation work was taking place. The residents and workers escaped without injury; however, one Verona firefighter was taken to Mountainside Hospital with breathing difficulties. He was released shortly afterwards.

It was also the second serious fire in the area during the past few weeks. On April 30, a blaze started when a man working with a blowtorch ignited insulation at a Cedar Grove house, leaving it heavily damaged.