Grieving community holds vigil for mom, daughter killed in Hazlet house fire

HAZLET, New Jersey (WABC) — An emotional vigil was held Tuesday evening to honor the reminiscence of a mom and daughter killed in a home hearth in New Jersey.

Amid the glow of numerous candles, the small township of Hazlet grieved.

“The second that my daughter handed away my spouse was standing in heaven along with her arms extensive open and stated come to mama,” Will Montanaro stated.

They grieved alongside the daddy and husband, who misplaced his spouse Jackie and their 6-year-old daughter Madelyn.

The household was ripped aside in a burst of warmth and flames that confirmed no mercy.

“My spouse and I had been sleeping, and the alarm went off,” Will Montanaro stated. “I went down the steps and I noticed my electrical field blazed. I by no means seen a fireplace like that in my life.”

The fireplace began earlier than daybreak on Friday. Will Montanaro cleared a path for Jackie and their two daughters, Madelyn and Elena, however Madelyn by no means made it out.

Will Montanaro tried to reenter the home, however the choking smoke drove him out.

“Clearly I am a father, my job is to guard my kids and once I knew I could not go any additional I informed my spouse that is it, we gotta wait, there is not any means in hell we’re getting on this home,” he stated. “And she or he simply checked out me and did not wanna hear it and simply bolted again in that home.”

Jackie Montanaro was a federal first responder, a senior officer with Customs and Border Safety. Her intuition was to save lots of their daughter. However Will Montanaro would by no means once more see both of them alive.

“We care about one another right here and tonight we stand collectively to help our neighbors, the Montanaros, who’ve skilled an unimaginable loss,” Hazlet Mayor Michael Sachs stated.

Because the tragedy, neighbors have raised greater than 1 / 4 million {dollars} to assist Will Montanaro and his older daughter Elena.

It is simply the 2 of them now to maintain their household’s legacy alive.

“I preserve working via my head what I might have accomplished in another way, I simply pray to God no one ever will get to take care of what I handled and what I noticed,” Will Montanaro stated.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Workplace is now attempting to resolve this tragedy.

They are saying the fireplace does not look like suspicious, however they have not revealed something a couple of potential trigger.

Preparations have been made for Jackie and Madelyn Montanaro.

Viewings will probably be held this week on Wednesday and Thursday from 4 p.m. to eight p.m. at Holmdel Funeral Residence.

The funeral will probably be held at St. Benedict R.C. Church in Holmdel on Friday at 10 a.m.

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