Thea Bowers’ photo from Heck Avenue taken after she called 911 and before water pumping began. It illustrates the fury and roaring speed of the inferno. Feb. 6, 2015. Special to Blogfinger ©
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
Monday, Feb 9, 2015. Ocean Grove: It was a 150 year old building with “balloon construction.” It had no fire walls, fire stops or other structural features that would help inhibit fires. This method of building, used from the 19th century until 1940, provided “voids” where a fire would rise quickly in a vertical direction and also where horizontal spread is rapid as well. In such a structure, a fire doubles in size every 4 minutes, and Chief Ron Cole says that an Ocean Grove fire like this one could go from basement to roof in one minute.
When the 911 call came in, the fire was burgeoning so fast that people were walking by on Main Avenue clueless that a conflagration was in progress. A photograph by Theo Bowers (above) at 3:27 pm, from Heck Avenue showed that the blaze was advancing quickly. The dark smoke indicates that there was no water yet being pumped onto the fire, yet the flames were shooting out the top of the building on Main.
Bob Easton and his workers from Ocean Grove Hardware began pounding on doors along with firemen and police who arrived quickly. There was little time before the fire would become an inferno. Everyone who was home in that building got out.
Quick work to alert occupants reminds us of the story of the Rasmussen family whose lives were saved by similar brave warnings provided by a Neptune Township policeman back in 2010 when a huge fire erupted on Ocean Pathway at the Manchester Inn
This dramatic photo of the Manchester Inn blaze on March 13, 2010 shows how fast an OG fire can develop. 5 homes were quickly destroyed and 2 others damaged. Ed Wyzykowski photo, citizen photographer. ©
The roof and third floor quickly collapsed onto the second floor, and a flaming wall fell over onto the Barbaric Bean’s west side.
There was only one building that was destroyed thanks to the remarkable work of firemen. The OGFD was quickly reinforced by units from many local towns. Pumpers were set up on Heck Avenue to obtain water from Fletcher Lake. An estimated 10, 000 gallons per minute were pouring onto the intense heat and fiery hulk. Once the water pumping began, the smoke turned white.
Perhaps six hours went by before the fire was declared under control. Neighboring units were sent home by 11:00 pm, while the OGFD remained on duty there until Saturday. The Mazza company from Tinton Falls, , demolition experts, were quickly called because that weakened structure was so dangerous to people and nearby structures. They used heavy gear to reduce 50 Main Avenue to rubble. The building is owned by Kurt Cavano, and his family has the Fusion Jewelry store which was destroyed in the fire along with Smuggler’s Cove and Yvonne’s Café.
A metal fence went up quickly, and the insurance company will see to the removal of all debris. The investigation of the fire will, according to Chief Cole , produce a diagnosis of “indeterminate cause” because the collapse of the scene into a pile of rubble left no opportunity to find evidence. Monmouth County officials and Neptune PD detectives are evaluating the situation.
Regarding the Barbaric Bean, the Chief confirmed our observations that water damage was the main problem for them. As for the bent piece of steel shown in Ted Aanensen’s photo, it was not the result of melting temperatures. Instead, Mazza’s men, like iron age men of old, bent the piece to make a tool. No, not for hunting mastodons—-it was for dragging wreckage.