First Sandy, then fire attacks N.J. neighborhood

• Neighborhood had sustained heavy damage from Hurricane Sandy in October
• One couple owned four of the homes, used as rental properties, that were damaged
• Dumpsters, debris remains in the community as part of Sandy cleanup

MANASQUAN, N.J. -- In this oceanfront borough, there's a morning routine for many area residents: They bike, drive or jog down to the beach and gather to watch the sunrise.

But Wednesday morning, one resident saw something that made him drive to the police station instead: A fire was consuming homes on First Avenue.

It was 5:41 a.m.

By the time the fire ended, flames had attacked 12 homes: Two were destroyed, one had severe damage, another had moderate damage, three more sustained minor exterior damage, and five others had minimal exterior damage, the fire chief said.

At least seven of the homes were vacant because of Sandy, said Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Marc LeMieux.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. "This one is going to take awhile," said Manasquan Fire Chief Mike Galos.

Superstorm Sandy had hit this community hard. After the storm, there was four to five feet of sand from the beachfront, across First Avenue, down to Second Avenue, Police Chief Elliott Correia said.

Work trucks and vans, owned by companies that handle mold removal, board-ups and cleaning services, line the streets in this neighborhood. Heavy equipment operators are working in the area.

Small signs are stuck in yards, advertising work done by general contractors and tear-down specialists.

There are Dumpsters in driveways, discarded belongings scattered in the streets, scrap heaps at the curb: siding, insulation, toilets, televisions, a lamp shade, even spoons.

A few debris piles in the street and the amount of sand between the houses made it more difficult for firefighters to drag water lines and pass between homes as they fought the blaze, police said.

About 60 firefighters from the borough and surrounding communities fought the blaze.

Of the twelve homes damaged in the blaze, Ellen and Ron Dana own four rental properties, including 290 First Ave., which is where LeMieux said the fire began.

Ellen Dana sat across the street and watched firefighters pour water onto the charred remains of 292 First Ave., another of her properties. Unlike 290 First Ave., which had been condemned after Sandy, 292 First Ave. had withstood the storm; water seeped into the garage, but the rest of the home stayed dry.

"All I could think was, that one had no damage," she said.

The Danas had expected to receive a certificate of occupancy Wednesday for 292 First Ave. and then have a renter move in. Workers had been in the house Tuesday, updating batteries in every smoke detector, she said.

But the fire destroyed that house, as well as 290 First Ave.

Galos said the interior of 290 First Ave. had been gutted for storm-related renovations, and he believes that allowed the fire to travel rapidly through the home. It burned to the ground.

Correia said electricity had been restored to that house, but because of the renovations, he was not sure if the gas there had been turned back on.

In this neighborhood, most lots have two homes: one on the beachfront and a second, behind it, on First Avenue.

Sometimes those First Avenue homes are used as guesthouses; others are rented out.

The two homes on the lot on other side of 290 First Ave. were owned by a couple from New York City. Both were new construction and were completed less than a year ago, police said.

Dave Spratley, 75, who also lives on First Avenue, said the firetrucks woke him early Wednesday. When he looked outside, the front of one of the homes was engulfed in flames, and the framework of the house was visible, he said.

He said as firefighters fought the flames from the ground, it almost appeared as if the fire was winning, but once a big hook and ladder truck arrived, firefighters took control.

"They do a good job, these fire" departments, he said. "These are all volunteers."