Blaze at former fire chief's home in Hammonton brings community together

HAMMONTON, N.J. (WPVI) -- The DiGiovannangelo family said the working smoke detectors on the first floor weren't loud enough to wake them up, but thanks to their vigilant neighbor and a quick-moving fire department, they are alive today.

"I can't say enough about these guys. Sorry, it's still raw. I love these guys. They take care of me," said Domenick DiGiovannangelo, the former fire chief of the Hammonton Fire Department.

He talked to Action News while standing outside what was his home of 25 years. He says it went up in flames in about 20 minutes on Thursday morning.

"The neighbor heard a pop outside, heard an explosion, looked out and saw my porch on fire," said DiGiovannangelo.

He said he has congestive heart failure and needed to grab the batteries for the pump that keeps his heart beating.

"By the time I got to the steps you couldn't see anything. So I had to feel my way around the corner and down the steps to get out," he said.

The all-volunteer fire company rushed to the 700 block of Middle Road at 3 a.m. to help the three-generation Hammonton firefighting family.

In total it took about two hours to put the fire out.

"There were a lot of emotions knowing it was one of our own members responding to the call," said John Warren, President of Hammonton Fire Company 2.

For Cameron DiGiovannangelo, one of Domenick's sons, it was even more personal.

He and his brother are Hammonton firefighters.

"A thought popped into my head that I'm washing away childhood memories. It was tough," Cameron said.

Cameron says while the loss of his childhood home is painful, he's thankful he saw his mom dad, brother and sister walked out alive.

"I might have been here yesterday looking at four body bags coming out of the house. Like, that's tough," said Cameron DiGiovannangelo, adding, "But like, to know that they were okay and they were alive was kind of all that mattered."

While there's no official word on what caused the fire, the former chief thinks it was electric, caused by an outdoor fridge.

"We think that the compressor exploded," said Domenick DiGiovannangelo.

The family hopes to rebuild their home in the same spot. They are grateful to the community for their outpouring of support.

The fire department has scheduled a beef and beer on Saturday June 21 to support the family at Hammonton Fire Company 2.