45°
"The insurance company gave us a place to stay for a year but we are struggling to get food, hygiene products and other means we need," Giuseppina Savino told Daily Voice. "We don't have a vehicle and can't get anywhere, as it was damaged in the fire.
"We lost everything we own."
The June 10 fire broke out in the rear of the 1½-story home on Agar Place shortly after 3 a.m. and instantly spread, responders and neighbors said.
An off-duty South Hackensack police sergeant who lives next door tried to extinguish the flames with a garden hose, but the blaze spread too quickly.
Firefighters had to beat back heavy flames and extreme heat, in fact, before finding 80-year-old homeowner Teresa Savino and Anton Pechal (Merkulov), 29.
CPR efforts failed after both deceased victims were found in cardiac arrest.
Both of them were taken to Hackensack University Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead.
The family's house cats were also killed, Savino said.
SEE: Woman Whose Mom, Fiancé Died In South Hackensack House Fire Seeks Help
"Losing our loved ones has shattered us completely," Savino said. "I hate asking for anything, but anything will help."
GOFUNDME: Tragic House Fire Please Help And Share!
Click here to follow Daily Voice Saddle Brook-Elmwood Park and receive free news updates.
