Family loses everything in Somerset County house fire, GoFundMe launched to help grandparents
SOMERVILLE, N.J. (Somerset County) — A family is seeking community support after a fire destroyed their grandparents’ home in Somerville on Saturday morning, leaving them without clothing, personal belongings and cherished family possessions.
Angel Songalia, who identified himself as the grandson of the homeowners, has launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to help his grandparents recover from the Oct. 24 fire, which broke out at a home near the intersection of Catherine Street and North Gaston Avenue.
According to Songalia, his grandparents lost everything in the fire, including clothing, shoes, family heirlooms, photographs, important documents and cash kept inside the home.
The fundraiser is intended to help the family purchase clothing, food and other everyday necessities while also covering the cost of temporary housing as they work to recover from the loss.
“Hi everyone, my name is Angel Songalia and I am the grandson of the owners of this home. On the morning of October 24, 2026, my grandparents’ home burned down in Somerville, NJ from a fire. As of right now, we do not know the cause of the fire until the fire department concludes their investigation. My grandparents lost everything, their clothes, their shoes, family heirlooms, stashed cash, family albums, documents, everything. All I ask is a small donation to help my family get back on their feet from this major setback. The funds will be used to purchase new clothing, shoes, food, essential everyday items, and for a temporary place to stay,” Songalia wrote on the fundraising page.
The Somerville and Raritan fire departments were dispatched at approximately 6:30 a.m. Saturday to a reported structure fire near Catherine Street and North Gaston Avenue.
According to the Somerville Fire Department, the first arriving fire officials encountered heavy flames coming from the front of the home, prompting a request for additional assistance from neighboring fire departments.
Firefighters established a water supply and deployed three hose lines to battle the flames. The department said difficult conditions inside the home complicated initial firefighting efforts, while crews also cut an opening in the roof to ventilate the structure and assist with extinguishing the fire.
The blaze was brought under control at approximately 7:55 a.m., about an hour and 25 minutes after firefighters were initially dispatched. Crews then conducted extensive overhaul operations to locate and extinguish remaining hot spots before completing operations at approximately 9:15 a.m.
The scene was subsequently turned over to the Somerville fire marshal for further investigation.
Mutual aid assistance was provided by fire departments from Raritan, Bradley Gardens, Bound Brook, Finderne, Manville, Somerset and Green Knoll.
The Somerville Fire Department has not released information about injuries or the cause of the fire. Songalia also stated in the fundraiser that the family was awaiting the results of the fire department’s investigation to determine what caused the blaze.
The family is now asking for donations to help replace essential belongings and secure temporary accommodations as they begin the recovery process.
Anyone wishing to help the family recover from the fire can make a donation through the GoFundMe fundraiser.
