the rix mix

Fire at the Jersey Shore

OCEAN GROVE NJ — At least four buildings, including the historic Manchester Inn, have been reduced to charred rubble and three others damaged by a wind-swept fire in Ocean Grove.

Dozens of firefighters are still battling the blaze, which began about 5 a.m. at the Manchester at 25 Ocean Pathway, said Michael Bascom, deputy emergency coordinator for Neptune Township.

Five homes facing Ocean Pathway and two facing Bath Avenue, which borders the block to the north, eventually caught fire. Several of the homes that burned were occupied, Bascom said, but residents were safely evacuated and none were injured. Two firefighters are being treated for minor injuries, he said.

A rainy, windy morning. These wonderful old irreplaceable structures never had a chance. Bad as it was, fhe fire could have been much, much worse. Ocean Pathway is a broad open area from the oceanfront to the great wooden Tabernacle, which is bordered by the community's famed tent cabin section.

Labels: Asbury Park, in the news, jersey shore