Surf Avenue, March 11. Photo by John Gallagher
By Yvette Blackman, Contributing Writer @Blogfinger
The fire that started in a former hotel and spread to numerous homes on Surf and Atlantic avenues last March may have been caused by a gas heater in the hotel’s basement, according to a report obtained by Blogfinger but never made public by fire investigators.
In the days leading up to the fire, this report explains, construction crews were working to convert the run-down hotel at 27 Surf Avenue and an adjacent cottage at 25 Surf Avenue into a nine-unit condominium complex. The interior of the four-story hotel had been demolished, stairs were removed, and workers had begun framing the walls and floors.
The report, which was prepared by the Monmouth County Fire Marshal’s office, says: “Heat for the structure was a gas fired hot air heater installed in the basement to provide heat for the construction workers.”
The report does not mention the possibility that the heater could have been left burning and unattended after the workers had departed for the day on Thursday, March 10. Police said the fire was reported at 5:11 a.m. on Friday, March 11 – before the next workday had begun.
“The area in and around the placement of the heating unit showed the heaviest charring” on what remained of the framed walls and floor following the fire, the report says.
The report, which is undated, is signed by Deputy Fire Marshal Vito Marra. It was provided to Blogfinger by a homeowner who obtained a copy of it in August, under a cover letter signed by County Fire Marshal Henry A. Stryker, III.
Although this report is the most specific account yet brought to light, it raises as many questions as it answers. It says nothing about the working condition of the heater prior to the fire. And it does not say whether investigators interviewed the workmen or pursued other leads to determine whether the heater had been left burning.
A call on Wednesday seeking comment from Stryker was not returned.
Very few people seem to have seen this report. David Shotwell Jr., spokesman for the Ocean Grove Fire Department, was reluctant to even discuss it with Blogfinger. “We have not seen any report nor have we been informed of this by the prosecutor’s office,” Shotwell said.
Ever since the day after the fire, county officials have been saying they thought its cause was accidental rather than criminal. Assistant County Prosecutor Chris Decker told Blogfinger last Friday, “The fire was ruled accidental.” However, despite repeated requests for definitive information about the investigation, almost no details have been shared with the press or the general public, either by the prosecutor’s office, the fire marshal’s office or any other official source.
“We don’t distribute reports,” Decker said. Asked to explain the long delay in sharing his office’s findings with the public, he said, “I had to wait for our reports to be finalized … for our case to be closed, so to speak, before I could actually disseminate the information. But we don’t disseminate reports.”
Decker also said: “We’re not able to determine with complete certainty the origin of the fire.”
As early as the morning of the fire, witnesses were telling Blogfinger that it had started in the basement of the old Surf Avenue hotel. No one has disputed that.
The old hotel and the adjacent cottage were once owned by Heinz Weck. Developer Hans Kretschman purchased the properties from Weck on December 2, 2010, but the report incorrectly names Weck as the owner. A month after the purchase, the Historic Preservation Commission approved Kretschman’s plans to build a condominium complex there. That work was underway when the fire occurred.
The fire spread to and destroyed homes at 31 and 33 Surf. Four neighboring homes on Atlantic Avenue – 26, 28, 30 and 32 – suffered severe damage and were either demolished or deemed uninhabitable. Six homes on the two streets sustained minor to moderate damage, as did five vehicles.
No one died in the fire, but it rekindled a fear that had surfaced after the 2010 Ocean Pathway fire that wiped out five homes and the historic Manchester Inn. That fire occurred almost exactly one year before the Surf Avenue fire. Fire officials determined that it was accidental and that it started in a basement — at the Manchester Inn.
Great reporting Yvette! I will keep watching your site for future developments and hopefully answers to what really caused this latest fire. As one comment suggested, you would think that overnite security guards or watchperson would be on-site overnight if a heater was left on. Too much like common sense perhaps??
Maybe I am missing something, I am sure someone in the Township will say I am, but shouldn’t all of these questions have been asked already by our so called “experts” in the town. What was left of the heater? I worked construction my whole life, and while not an expert, I could tell you just by looking at the charred remains of a metal heater if it was gas powered, natural gas etc.
Two fires almost 1 year apart, same area of town, very familiar scenarios; It raises some questions???????
I’m going to ask all the questions posted here to the Neptune fire official and see which, if any, are covered by state statute and next steps to take if there are gaps in state fire protection laws.
O.K. so the catastrophic event that wreaked havoc in a quiet little neighborhood and causes continued anguish to it’s inhabitants was ruled accidental. But, what CAUSED the accident? The size and type of heater is very relevant. Should there have been a Night Watchmen there when this type of equipment was being used at such a large site? Many questions are still not answered in any way that sheds light on how this happened. Mr. Decker’s detectives have worked for 6 months gathering the information from all the agencies involved, including those of the State. Surely they must have some answer as to cause. Why is this information not forthcoming? It sure could prevent another disaster like this one and should be used to it’s best advantage.
Good going, Yvette. Very interesting.
Just after the fire, the neighbors were talking that there was a heater being used inside to warm up the areas where blocks were being laid so the mortar would set quickly and it was intentionally left on overnight so they could keep working the next day.
If it was a portable heater, which I believe the workers indicated they were using, it would not have been subject to inspection, or possibly even on the premises while things like structural and permit inspections are taking place. While the report says “gas,” it does not specify natural gas, gasoline powered, like a generator, or kerosene.
Does anyone know if the contractor or owner had a permit in place for that heater? Or if it was ever inspected?
Interesting. Very interesting. Wonder what information various insurance companies reports contain. That is if they are even completed yet. Not sure that you would be able to obtain copy of any either. Unless an involved homeowner wanted to share it with you.