By Donald Wittkowski
Fire investigators could not determine the cause of a raging, wind-whipped blaze that destroyed three adjacent duplexes and killed an elderly woman last November in Sea Isle City, authorities said.
“It appears to be accidental. There’s nothing suspicious,” said Capt. Michael Emmer of the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office.
The case remains open at this time, though, Emmer added. The prosecutor’s office was involved in the investigation because there was a fatality in the Nov. 29 fire on 54th Street, a block from the beach.
Marie Zielinski, 89, who lived in one of the duplexes, died of smoke and soot inhalation, according to an autopsy. Her death was considered an accident, Emmer said.
The family’s 2-year-old mixed-breed dog was also killed.
Emmer referred other questions about the blaze to the Cape May County Fire Marshal’s Office. Deputy Fire Marshal Rocco DiSilvestro said investigators could not pinpoint the cause because of the extensive damage.
“That fire was so intense there was really nothing left to examine,” DiSilvestro said in an interview.
Strong winds blowing up to 40 mph allowed flames to quickly spread from one duplex to another, destroying all three homes, he explained.
Elizabeth Coleman, 56, and Roy Lombardo, 60, who shared the other side of the duplex where Zielinski lived at 29 54th Street, were transported to a hospital for treatment of their injuries in the fire. The extent of their injuries was not divulged by authorities.
The day after the fire, authorities said the blaze started in the duplex where Zielinski, Coleman and Lombardo lived. The other duplexes were unoccupied when the fire broke out.
The fire on 54th Street was one of three major blazes in the past 18 months that have unnerved Sea Isle residents. On Easter morning, two adjacent duplexes on 75th Street overlooking the bay were destroyed. No occupants were hurt, but a firefighter suffered minor injuries.
Prior to the fires on 54th and 75th streets, another inferno fueled by strong winds destroyed three adjacent oceanfront homes on Pleasure Avenue on Nov. 24, 2017. There were no injuries. The cause of that blaze could not be determined by investigators.
“As sad as it may seem, there are a lot of our fires that are undetermined,” DiSilvestro said of fires throughout the county.
The Fire Marshal’s Office also could not determine the cause of the fire on 75th Street. However, fire experts hired by an insurance company concluded that it was caused by a faulty electrical outlet in the master bedroom on the second floor of the duplex closest to Central Avenue, DiSilvestro said.
In the aftermath of the fires, local residents have been expressing their concerns to members of City Council. Some of them have urged the governing body to consider hiring professional firefighters to provide 24-hour protection instead of continuing to rely on Sea Isle’s volunteer fire department.
Others have called on City Council to pass stricter building codes that would require fire-retardant construction materials and stronger fire walls.
Some residents said homes are too densely packed together in Sea Isle, allowing fires to easily spread from one house to another. They wondered whether the city’s zoning laws should be changed to require more space between homes.
City Business Administrator George Savastano told residents during the most recent Council meeting that Sea Isle takes fire safety as seriously as any other municipality and has “great construction codes.”
Savastano and Council President Jack Gibson both praised Sea Isle’s volunteer fire department for the protection it gives the city. Savastano pointed out that it is common for municipalities to have volunteer fire departments.
In the meantime, Gibson wants Sea Isle to work with residents on ways to increase fire awareness and safety. He suggested that the city should use its website to educate the public with fire safety tips.
Gibson also wants the city to gain access to Sea Isle fire investigations conducted by the county Fire Marshal’s Office. He believes information contained in the fire reports would be a valuable tool to help prevent more fires.
Savastano told Gibson and the other Council members that Sea Isle Police Chief Tom McQuillen has been working with the Fire Marshal’s Office on the investigations.
