BY ROB JENNINGS DAILY RECORD
EAST HANOVER -- A single-family colonial house on Sheldon Court was heavily damaged in a fire late Sunday afternoon as dozens of startled neighbors and passers-by watched from nearby front lawns. At around 5:30 p.m., thirty minutes after returning from the Columbus Day parade, family members were inside when "somebody noticed that the attached garage was on fire," East Hanover Fire Chief Ray Serra said on Sunday night. All escaped unharmed, he said. It was not clear how many were home at the time. Two cars, including at least one antique, were in the garage when the fire was discovered, and it appeared that one or both of the cars had been driven as part of the parade procession, Serra said. The cause of the blaze remained under investigation Sunday night. Serra, among 40 firefighters who rushed to the scene, encountered a persistent blaze that wasn't brought under control until 8 p.m. "The fire was coming out all sides of the garage," he said, adding that it quickly spread elsewhere. By 6 p.m., an enormous cloud of smoke hung in the shape of a rainbow over Route 10. At the scene, a large crowd was gathering. A neighbor, Rhoda Accardi, had been talking on the telephone with her daughter when she saw flashing lights. She ran outside and saw the part of the house near the garage going up in flames. "I couldn't believe what I saw," she said. "The bedroom, on the far end of the house, just going up in flames." Elaine Giegler and her husband, Joseph, were driving home from an early dinner when they saw the smoke."I live where all the smoke is going," she said, wondering for a moment if it might have been their house. Giegler expressed sadness at the visible signs of heavy damage to the house. "The house is beautiful. It's a shame," she said. Three Red Cross workers arrived just after 7 p.m. to assist the displaced family, which was gathered in a small group with friends and relatives by the curb. Firefighters from Roseland and Florham Park aided in battling the blaze. The East Hanover First Aid Squad also responded.