Christina Greenberg and her husband were setting up for their beloved open-door holiday tradition Saturday when a devastating fire tore through their home in Monmouth County.
For 17 years, the family has welcomed neighbors into their Keyport home during the local fire department’s annual Christmas parade, when firefighters ride through the neighborhood with Santa Claus and Clydesdale horses.
Nearly 100 people typically stop by the Greenberg’s home as children gather in their backyard on Therese Avenue to greet Santa.
As they prepared for the party this year, Greenberg said the family turned on a natural gas heater in their enclosed backyard patio to warm up the space.
Around 10 a.m. Saturday, the heater malfunctioned, igniting the back of the house and quickly spreading into the kitchen, where flames blew out a window.
“Our daughter was upstairs in her room, and I started screaming for her to get out of the house,” Greenberg said in a phone interview Sunday. “Our dogs ran toward the fire, so I grabbed them.”
Local fire crews responded to the scene and quickly extinguished the blaze. The family, including their two dogs, Finn and Hendricks, are safe.
The home, however, could not be saved, Greenberg said.
“Our entire house has to come down,” she said. “The foundation is failing. We lost everything except for the clothes on our backs.”
The Keyport community has rallied behind the Greenberg family, saying the home was not just a loss for them, but for the entire small, close-knit community.
For nearly two decades, the family has hosted their annual Christmas party. It’s become a neighborhood tradition. They also regularly open their doors for Fourth of July gatherings and “Moms’ Nights” on their porch.
Additionally, Greenberg served as president of the local PTO for about a decade.
The New Jersey Red Cross said it responded to the fire Saturday, providing the family of four with emergency assistance, including temporary lodging, food, clothing and other immediate needs.
But the Greenbergs are still unsure where they will live longterm. For now, their dogs are staying at a local pet hotel.
A GoFundMe created to support the family had raised nearly $17,000 as of Sunday evening.
“Right now, we’re not exactly sure where we’re going to be living,” Greenberg said. “We’re waiting on the insurance company.”
“There is a GoFundMe set up,” she added. “Gift cards or a donation there would really help.”
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