Township taking donations for victims of weekend fire

A family of three is homeless after a fire Saturday evening destroyed its Beekman Lane home.

By: John Patten
   A Hillsborough family of three is homeless after a fire Saturday evening destroyed their Beekman Lane home while they were out.
   Township Social Services Director Tom Ormosi said Hai and Juyoung Lee and their son, a student at Hillsborough Middle School, have relocated to a hotel.
   "They’re a nice young family that got hit by a tragedy," Mr. Ormosi said. "I’ve just been asking them if we (the township) can do anything, and there really isn’t because they’re living in a hotel."
   Chief Fire Marshal Chris Weniger said the fire appears to have started in a flowerbed at the front of the house.
   "We’re still working on the cause — that may take a little time," he said.
   Firefighters responded to the fire at 6:49 p.m. with the house engulfed in flames. The firefighters from Hillsborough fire companies and Finderne Fire Company in Bridgewater extinguished the fire, but the house was left uninhabitable.
   Mr. Ormosi said the family is in negotiations with their insurance company, but the township is coordinating donations to help the family rebuild. Donations can be sent to the Social Services Dept., c/o 188 Beekman Fire Fund, 379 South Branch Road, Hillsborough, NJ 08844.