Fiery Blaze Lights Up Sky in Ocean Grove
By DON STINE
A spectacular, nighttime fire at the North End of Ocean Grove lit up the sky Tuesday night as an old cafeteria building, now used for storage, burned and collapsed to the ground on Spray Avenue.Witnesses said the fire, which began just after 10 p.m., had flames shooting as much as 100 to 150 feet into the air and large, billowing columns of white smoke rose hundreds of feet into the night sky.
The century-old building, at 17 Spray Avenue, was scheduled to have a demolition permit issued this month to be razed as part of a proposed North End redevelopment project.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined but it is under investigation by the Monmouth County Fire Marshall and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
The building is owned by the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association.
Carolyn O’Connor, who has lived at 2 Spray Avenue for 21 years, said she was just heading home when she heard the fire engines coming.
“I thought the fire was on our street so I hurried home to get our dog and the flames were shooting out of the building at that time,” she said.
O’Connor said fire officials had her leave the area near her home about 20 minutes into the blaze for safety reasons.
“The flames were just getting bigger and bigger,” she said.
O’Connor said the fire started at the western end of the old building.
“I am just thankful that God made the wind blow east. There were some embers, however, blowing toward our house,” she said.
O’Connor said all of the houses on that section of Spray Avenue are new and neighbors, who were without power, were very upset and worried about their properties.
James O’Connor praised firefighters for their work.
“Even at my house you could feel the heat,” he said. “We were fortunate the wind was blowing the other way.”
Police officers on the Asbury Park side of Wesley Lake said they heard several electrical transformers explode and said embers from the fire were blowing across the lake into the city.
“You could feel the heat from the fire all the way across the lake,” said one officer.
Neptune City resident Mary Dougherty, who also witnessed the fiery blaze, said she hadn’t see such a sight since childhood.
A change of wind later blew the acrid smoke over to Lake and Cookman avenues, choking lingering spectators watching the smoldering ruins.
Mayor Randy Bishop, who was at the scene, said he is extremely grateful to the Ocean Grove, Neptune, and surrounding fire departments and emergency personnel who responded so quickly and professionally to the blaze.
“They got under control something that could have been a tremendous disaster. I am pleased that no one was hurt and that there was minimal property damage,” he said.
Bishop said the fire departments did a tremendous job keeping the blaze under control.
“If something like this were to get out of control it could mean the end of Ocean Grove,” he said.
Bishop said the fire only strengthens his belief that a careful look needs to be taken at the redevelopment of the North End property.
“We have to look first at the safety of residents in developing the site,” he said.
Read more about your town by picking up The Coaster at your local newsstand or subscribe today.
Published every Thursday.
