By Donald Wittkowski
The smell of smoke lingered as Don and Sophia Peyton and their five children removed some household items Wednesday from the charred remains of their Sea Isle City vacation duplex on 54th Street.
They were able to salvage their patio set, some bikes, a grill and a few appliances, but their furniture was ruined by smoke and water.
Even worse, their duplex is a total loss and will have to be demolished. It is the only structure still standing in the aftermath of a raging fire Nov. 29 that engulfed three duplexes and killed an elderly woman.
On Wednesday, the Peytons met with a builder to discuss plans for a new home to replace the five-bedroom duplex they have owned for six years.
“We will rebuild,” Sophia Peyton said, estimating that it will take about a year and a half before their new house is ready.
The Peytons, who live in Wayne, Pa., had used their Sea Isle duplex as a summer home. During their summer vacations, they had become close to their neighbors
“We live here all summer,” Sophia Peyton said. “They call 54th Street a surfing beach. All five of our children surf, so we love it here. We have been close with everyone on our street.”
The Peytons’ duplex at 25 54th Street was severely damaged by the fire. They were not at home when the blaze broke out. At first it wasn’t clear whether their house could be saved, but it has since been determined to be uninhabitable and must be demolished.
“Sea Isle’s building inspector has been sending me notices to tear it down,” Sophia Peyton said.
The Peytons are anxious to find out what caused the fire. Authorities say the cause remains under investigation, although they determined that the fire started in the middle duplex, where 89-year-old Marie Zielinski died of smoke inhalation.
“That is the big question: What caused the fire?” Don Peyton said.
Sea Isle Police Chief Tom McQuillen told reporters the day after the fire that there were no signs of anything suspicious and it appeared it was nothing more than “a terrible tragedy.”
Detectives from the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, Sea Isle Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and members of the Cape May County and New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating the cause.
Most of Zielinski’s duplex burned to the ground. The rest of the structure was demolished the next day.
An adjacent duplex at the corner of 54th Street and Landis Avenue was extensively damaged and was torn down last week, leaving only the Peytons’ house still standing for the moment.
The Peytons plan to collaborate on a new house with the owners of the second half of their duplex. Sophia Peyton identified them as Marc and Anita Maiatico, of Haddonfield, N.J. The Maiaticos could not be reached for comment Thursday.
In the meantime, the Peytons, along with their children Alex, 18, Nick, 17, Stephanie, 14, Lauren, 12, and Michael, 8, are trying to save whatever they can from the duplex before it is demolished.
“Considering what happened to the other people, we’re fine,” Don Peyton said, expressing his sadness over Zielinski’s death.
