Community Rallies to Help 23 Displaced by Fire in OC

OCEAN CITY – Ocean City, along with churches and other organizations, are helping 23 residents of a rental property at 932 Simpson Ave. after a fire gutted the second floor of the structure Jan. 27.
According to Deputy Fire Chief Bernie Walker, Ocean City Fire Department, they received the call at 12:09 p.m. and firefighters were on the scene at 12:11 p.m. Walker said 932 Simpson Ave. is a three-story, wood-framed building. Firefighters located smoke and flames on the second floor and immediately initiated a search for anyone trapped in the building. After a primary and secondary search, they were satisfied no one was in the building.
“There was one dog outside the building, who had escaped and was recovered,” Walker said.
Walker said there were 19 Ocean City firefighters on scene to fight the fire, as well as backup from the Marmora Volunteer Fire Company and Margate Fire Department, which supplied a rapid intervention team (RIT) in the event firefighters needed to be rescued. 
Cristian Moreno-Rodriguez, of El Pueblo Unido of Atlantic City, which he translated to “A Community United,” said the organization has been helping the Spanish-speaking residents resettle after the fire. 
According to Moreno-Rodriguez, members of El Pueblo Unido were at the scene of the fire around 1:30 p.m. They were called to help translate for the American Red Cross. 
Moreno-Rodriguez said El Pueblo Unido is a nonprofit based in Atlantic City that does a lot of work with the Latino and immigrant population. Its 501(c)(3) designation is pending. 
He said the group is working with Ocean City and the displaced residents, trying to get them connected to family members and reaching out to the schools on behalf of the families. 
One of the biggest obstacles the organization is facing is trying to connect the residents with new housing. 
“We are trying to connect to housing assistance and get help with security deposits,” he said. 
Moreno-Rodriguez said the group is helping the Ocean City residents connect with the mobile Consulate of Mexico, in Atlantic City, because some of the residents lost personal documentation. He said there was a lot of damage caused by the fire. 
“The second floor is completely lost,” Moreno-Rodriguez said. “It seemed to be where it (the fire) started.”
Extinguishing the fire resulted in the first floor being flooded, and, according to Moreno-Rodriguez, no one is allowed back into the building. 
He said a rear cottage was evacuated while the Ocean City Fire Department was fighting the fire but was unaffected by the blaze. 
Of the 23 people displaced, he said six were able to return to the rear cottage and four are staying temporarily with friends or family. The remaining 13 people are being put up at Watson’s Regency Suites on Ocean Avenue in Ocean City. 
El Pueblo Unido has handled cases like this in the past. The organization provided assistance after the June 18, 2022, fire that started in an apartment above the Sack O’ Subs in Ventnor City. That fire displaced three families. 
Moreno-Rodriguez said the organization would divide any donated funds to residents according to their need. He said there were some single males and some families involved. He said the money would go primarily to security deposits and first-month rents at new housing. 
“Other monies, donations, are putting people up in motels,” he said. 
Moreno-Rodriguez said St. Peter’s United Methodist Church, in Ocean City, paid for six rooms in a motel Jan. 30. The previous three days, he said, were paid for by Ocean City. St. Damien, of Ocean City, paid for two nights, and the Ocean City police provided two- or three-nights’ lodging. 
El Pueblo Unido is also working with Ocean City Social Services and OCNJ CARE, which was established to assist people displaced after Superstorm Sandy. 
“We maybe have the next two weeks covered when we will be heavily looking for apartments. Some have kids in school who want to keep them here, but some folks might have to go to surrounding towns. We are trying to find year-round rentals,” Moreno-Rodriguez said. 
He is optimistic about providing temporary and, eventually, long-term housing.
“I think we have a lot of support,” he said. 
The residents are currently being treated to breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a conference space at the hotel. Churches have also been hosting meals for the displaced residents, as well as providing other needed items. 
A church in Galloway Township donated boots. The Clothes Closet, in Ocean City, opened specifically for the residents. Angels in Motion has been helping with “blessing bags” containing snacks, clothing, and hygiene products. AtlantiCare provided lunch and dinner Jan. 29, and Ocean City’s police union was to prepare dinner once this week, Moreno-Rodriguez said. 
El Pueblo Unido started a GoFundMe page for the Ventnor residents and has done the same for the Ocean City residents. 
As of 10:30 a.m. Feb. 1, the GoFundMe page had raised $10,175 of a $15,000 goal. To view the GoFundMe page for the Ocean City residents, visit https://gf.me/v/c/5gk6/23-community-members-displaced-by-ocean-city-fire. 
To contact Moreno-Rodriguez, email him at Cristian@ElPuebloUnidoAC.org or visit https://www.facebook.com/ElPuebloUnidoAC/. 
Thoughts? Questions? Contact the author, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.