Seaside Park NJ boardwalk blaze

Local businesses burned in Seaside Park NJ boardwalk blaze responded by hundreds of firefighters.

September 12, 2013
SEASIDE PARK, N.J. – A fast moving boardwalk fire in a Jersey shore community still recovering from Superstorm Sandy has destroyed more than 32 local businesses.

No serious injuries were reported, but the blaze destroyed all 32 businesses on the Seaside Park side of the boardwalk, said Nancy Koury, a borough councilwoman. Firefighters where at a convention and where able to respond to help and assist. Some businesses in Seaside Heights, just to the north, also were destroyed.

The fire apparently started in a Kohr’s frozen custard stand on the boardwalk in Seaside Park and quickly spread, hop-scotching from building to building as a strong south wind carried fist-sized embers three blocks to the north of the inexorably marching fire line.

The massive blaze burned four blocks of boardwalk in each of the neighboring communities before workers ripped out a section of the walkway and piled up sand to act as a makeshift fire break.

Firefighters were still dousing the remains of the fire well into the night.

The fire burned much of the boardwalk that was just rebuilt in time for Memorial Day after being wrecked by Superstorm Sandy.

Photo Credit North Jersey Dot Com