BARNEGAT – Melissa and Matt Lawrence hold cherished memories of the trips they made from Toms River to Barnegat, eagerly monitoring the progress of their home during its initial construction. They excitedly watched as the walls went up, the roof was put on, and their dream home took shape.
After signing closing documents for their residence at 109 Cox Road on July 19, 2021, Melissa and Matt couldn’t wait to move in a couple of days later. They immediately set to work, turning the house into a warm and welcoming home.
However, tragedy struck the newly married couple a year and just days later, on July 23, 2022. A ferocious fire engulfed their two-story house, reducing it to a mere shell and consuming nearly all of their precious belongings.
The devastating blaze mercilessly displaced the family, leaving them without a place to call their own.
Today, Melissa and Matt find themselves once again driving past their Cox Road address, but this time from a rental house in Stafford. The reconstruction of their dream home has encountered unexpected delays, extending their wait to reclaim their lives within the walls of their forever home.
“We’re hoping to move back in by the beginning of the year,” Melissa shared.
Not surprisingly, the Lawrence family’s ordeal extends beyond the physical loss of their home and belongings. Melissa and Matt’s own emotional distress has been amplified by witnessing the fear, confusion, and uncertainty that their daughters have faced.
Melissa’s daughter, Faith Todero, now 20, found herself alone in their Barnegat home on the fateful day of the fire. Then, an active member of the Barnegat High School Dance Team, Faith was immersed in her music, dancing to her heart’s content in her upstairs bedroom. With the speakers turned up to full blast, the wail of the smoke alarms, around 2 in the afternoon, took Faith by surprise.
Faith initially assumed her parents were engaging in a playful prank, taking advantage of “smart home” devices within the house. Fortunately, she still decided to investigate and proceeded to the lower level.
“As she went downstairs to check,” said Melissa. “Faith noticed the smoke and went towards the kitchen. She discovered the smoke was coming from the garage.”
“She planned to open the garage door,” Melissa continued. “However, when she touched it with her hand and barely turned it, it blew her back.”
Faith knew her mother was at work but was uncertain if Matt and her younger sister, Kaitlyn Lima, were home. Faith bravely ventured through the house and checked each room. In the master bedroom, she found their beloved pooches, Alice and Maggie, huddled in locked crates.
Faith scooped up the dogs and quickly rushed outside. Faith’s heart sank as her search for the family’s beloved cat, Bonnie, proved fruitless.
Following a thorough investigation, the Ocean County Fire Marshal concluded that the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction originating from an outlet in the garage.
Rebuilding Life
The fire left the four members of the Lawrence family with virtually nothing more than the clothes on their backs. Faith’s car, which had not yet been insured, was parked in the driveway and was consumed by the flames.
“The fire had not really worked its way into the basement,” Matt shared. “All the water used to put out the fire worked its way into the basement.”
While everything in the basement was filled with mold, Melissa found one thing that was actually salvageable. A plastic bin containing her children’s baby books with their pictures survived the mass destruction.
“Faith was born in 2003, so it was before digital photographs,” said Melissa. “I lost all the frames and favorite photos hanging on the wall, but at least these were saved.”
A metal filing cabinet on the upper level that contained important documentation also survived the fire.
Amidst the devastation and heartache, the Lawrence family found an outpouring of compassion and generosity. Donations of clothing poured in, giving them some essentials to start rebuilding their lives. A GoFundMe campaign initiated by a close friend raised nearly $12,000.
Both Melissa and Matt marveled at the outreach by strangers in a community that was new to them. The outpouring of support reinforced their belief in the goodness of humanity and provided them with the strength to face the challenges ahead.
In the fire’s immediate aftermath, Matt’s parents opened their home to their son and his family. Ultimately, the Lawrences’ homeowner’s insurance provided temporary accommodations at the Mainland Hotel on Route 72.
“It was actually hard because it was in the middle of summer,” explained Melissa. “There wasn’t a lot of availability, and we had to stay close because Kaitlyn was still in cheer.”
The rental market was tight, with suitable homes in high demand and scarce to find. However, when a Stafford homeowner learned of the family’s dilemma on social media, he offered to rent his vacant property.
Arrangements with the Lawrence’s homeowner insurance company allowed the family to move from the hotel to the one-family house. A truckload of rental furniture and household necessities added the finishing touches.
Less than a month after the fire, Kaitlyn, now 15 and a member of the Barnegat High School Varsity Cheerleading Squad, suffered traumatic breaks to both ankles while practicing cheers. The severity of the break to her left ankle required surgery to insert pins, necessitating her to use a wheelchair.
Different things seem to spur on the memories created by the devastating experience. Kaitlyn recalled a fire drill when she and her sister returned to school after the blaze destroyed their home.
“I know that Faith had to put on headphones on with blasting music,” Kaitlyn said. “She did that so she didn’t have to hear the fire alarms.”
Kaitlyn added that the two dogs also react poorly if the smoke alarms go off in the house.
None of the challenges seem to compare to the loss Kaitlyn continues to view as a constant source of heartache. She and Bonnie had been inseparable companions, and the thought of Bonnie perishing in the fire was a heavy burden. The family searched tirelessly for the cat after the fire to no avail.
“What’s really hard is that everything feels temporary,” Kaitlyn added. “Everything in my life.”
The rebuilding process has included two new additions to the family home, bringing the Lawrences much-needed joy and comfort amidst their challenges.
Willow Lawrence, a sweet baby girl born this September, has brought a new dimension of love to the family unit. And while no one can replace Bonnie, a new Siamese cat named Clover seems to also consider Kaitlyn her favorite human.
Both Melissa and Matt said the things they miss the most are sentimental in value. Melissa’s childhood memories, captured on VHS tapes, were forever lost. Matt mourned the loss of cherished items passed down from his late grandfather. These included a mantle clock earned through 30 years of dedicated service at General Motors.
The Lawrences’ anticipation of returning to their rebuilt home was dampened by unexpected delays, adding to the stress of their already challenging situation. The investigation into the cause of the fire had to be completed before construction could commence, a necessary step that nonetheless prolonged their displacement.
Once the investigation was concluded, the Lawrences faced another hurdle when their first chosen contractor abruptly disappeared after signing up for the project.
“He essentially ghosted us,” said Melissa. “He never returned the calls of the person who referred him to us either.”
The unexpected setback left Melissa and Matt scrambling to find a reliable contractor to meet their needs and expeditiously begin rebuilding. If all goes as anticipated, they should return next month to start a new year in their dream home.
Melissa admits that leaving her house remains a constant battle against the fear of the unknown. The memory of the fire’s destructive force casts a shadow over her, triggering a regular state of vigilance and anticipation. The fire has robbed the entire family of the sense of security and safety that a home should provide, replacing it with a pervasive sense of vulnerability.
“Trying to pick up the pieces for my beautiful daughters, who also have to deal with the pain of this. How can I make them feel better, I can’t take the fire back… It happened,” Melissa wrote in a recent Facebook post. “As a mother, you never want to see your kids go through something like this. And not being able to fix it just adds to the helplessness feeling.”
