49°
The rest was lost. Doghouz and his roommates stood helplessly watching their life come crashing down in the fire that changed everything late last month.
More than $200 had been raised for the 30-year-old mechanic as of Wednesday morning on a GoFundMe.
"I’m still replaying everything in my head," he said. "I didn’t even realize my phone was in my pocket till we were outside watching everything we owned burn down."
Doghouz had been living in the Bourbon Street multi-family home for two weeks when the outlet that his laptop was plugged into started to spark, engulfing his pillow.
The fire spread quickly as Doghouz made futile attempts to put it out.
"I tried snuffing it out with my hands, tried getting the sheets off the bed, went and grabbed a 5 gallon water jug... broke the top off trying to get the water on it," Doghouz said.
"The mattress cover -- that thin piece of material -- sizzled like a fuse in the cartoons."
The fire was unwieldy. Doghouz yelled to his roommates to get out, and sent one to tell the upstairs tenants, too.
He tried one last time to put out the fire but it was already too late.
"Three of us ended up outside with bare feet in socks and T-shirts, watching our stuff getting cooked."
Doghouz has been wearing borrowed clothing and sleeping at his manager's house -- desperate to get his life back together.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Saddle Brook-Elmwood Park and receive free news updates.
