An online fundraiser started by a friend, Michael Saulnier, has exceeded its goal of $10,000 by raising almost $16,000 in three days.
POINT PLEASANT BOROUGH - James Ward was with his family at a friend's house watching football on Sunday when the call came in.
"There's smoke coming out of your house," a neighbor told him, Ward recalled on Wednesday.
Ward and his wife, Lysbeth, raced home to their nearby Moore Avenue home, while their three children -- Emma, 6; Mason, 4; and Gavin, 2 -- stayed at their friend's house.
By the time they arrived, smoke was billowing from the roof. The fire would go on to rip through the entire home, destroying everything inside. Now, the community is coming together to help raise money for the Ward family.
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An online fundraiser started by a friend, Michael Saulnier, has exceeded its goal of $10,000 by raising almost $16,000 in three days. More than 180 people have donated to the fundraiser, posted on gofundme.com.
"I just really want to have it known how thankful we are," Ward said in a phone interview on Wednesday. "We're blown away, all things considered. It's such a terrible tragedy, but all the good happening, has us in awe."
Ward said he was "completely stunned and in disbelief" when he arrived at his house Sunday afternoon. The fire was first reported just before 4 p.m. and it took firefighters about an hour to knock down the bulk of the flames.
"My first thought was to try and grab my garden hose and do something, but I was quickly stopped by the (first) officer on scene and my neighbors," Ward said.
He said he is grateful to the firefighters who, knowing no one was inside, still risked their lives when they entered the home to try to stop the inferno from spreading.
"The fire flashed and the ceiling came down on them," he said. "Someone could have been hurt or worse. Thankfully, like my family, they too were all OK."
Ward said he has little information on the cause of the fire and where it originated. He said investigators have told him they don't believe it was started by an electrical malfunction in the home.
"We're kind of left just wondering what could have happened," Ward said. "It's hard, it's hard. ... You read about this stuff, they can find out the smallest detail, so we're counting on that and hoping we can get some answers."
The Ward family is in the process of moving and is set to close on a new home next month. They were able to pack away some of their belongings before the fire, but there were still so many cherished items that were lost, like the kids' "blankees" and stuffed animals.
"The priceless items you would think of yourselves, our collective lifetimes as well as the life we have started to build with our children gone, just gone," Ward said.
But, thanks to family and friends, the Ward family has started picking up the pieces.
The family is currently staying at Ward's parent's house. His sisters have taken clothing donations and toys for the children, and other organizations have pitched in as well.
"Words cannot express our complete awe in each of you," Ward wrote on his Facebook page. "... It's hard to accept it, pride gets in the way ... we are resilient and strong but at the end of the day, we need help. We will accept it and we love you for it."
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
