New Jersey Governor Vows To Rebuild Fire-Ravaged Boardwalk

By Scott Neuman

Published September 13, 2013 at 12:54 PM CDT

Firefighters battle a blaze on the Seaside Park boardwalk Thursday in New Jersey. The fire began in the vicinity of an ice cream stand and quickly spread north into neighboring Seaside Heights.

1 of 8 — Firefighters battle a blaze on the Seaside Park boardwalk Thursday in New Jersey. The fire began in the vicinity of an ice cream stand and quickly spread north into neighboring Seaside Heights.

2 of 8 — Seaside Heights is a popular beach destination on the Jersey Shore where beachgoers, like these, in 2010, go to escape the heat.

3 of 8 — Superstorm Sandy destroyed some attractions and part of the city's famed boardwalk in October 2012.

Construction workers put pilings into the sand as the reconstruction of the boardwalk continued in Seaside Heights in February. Sandy caused extensive damage to the boardwalk necessitating its demolition and rebuilding.

4 of 8 — Construction workers put pilings into the sand as the reconstruction of the boardwalk continued in Seaside Heights in February. Sandy caused extensive damage to the boardwalk necessitating its demolition and rebuilding.

5 of 8 — Large crowds of people walk along the newly rebuilt boardwalk on Memorial Day.

6 of 8 — The fire Thursday engulfed several blocks of boardwalk and businesses in an area that was still rebuilding from damage caused by Sandy.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks with state fire marshal Bill Kramer (center) and shore regional fire coordinator Craig Augustoni during a visit to the area.

7 of 8 — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks with state fire marshal Bill Kramer (center) and shore regional fire coordinator Craig Augustoni during a visit to the area.

8 of 8 — A firefighter sprays water on a hot spot at the scene of the fire Friday. Gov. Chirstie vowed that the state would rebuild.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said a wind-swept fire that started Thursday and burned through the state's iconic boardwalk destroyed "generations of memories," but vowed that the state would rebuild.

Speaking at a news conference on Friday morning, Christie said it wasn't yet known what caused the blaze in two shore-side towns. He said that as of Friday morning, the fire was 95 percent contained, but that hot spots could continue to burn for days.

"We are tough, and we stand together in a crisis," the governor said as he praised hundreds of firefighters who responded to the blaze.

He said the fire that ravaged four blocks and 32 businesses in Seaside Park and adjacent Seaside Heights would not stall rebuilding of the area that had begun after it was damaged by last year's Superstorm Sandy.

Christie said the fire had taken an "emotional toll." On Thursday, as firefighters fought back the blaze, he said that after "all the effort and time and resources" that had gone into rebuilding the area following Sandy, "I feel like I want to throw up."

The Star-Ledger reports:

"Local authorities said the fire began about 2:05 p.m. and was raging out of control within 15 minutes. It would be another six hours before the blaze was contained. ...

"No residences would be in affected, he said, but more of the boardwalk could suffer damage. ...

"At the height of the blaze, hundreds of firefighters battled one obstacle after another to keep flames from spreading north into Seaside Heights.

"At one point, firefighters battled 30 mph winds and embers the size of small birds. In one desperate measure, public works crews ripped out a 20-foot section of the boardwalk at Lincoln Avenue — near where Seaside Heights meets Seaside Park — to serve as a makeshift fire break, depriving the blaze of fuel."

Daniel Shauger, manager of Funtown Arcade, told The Associated Press that he'd just reopened June 1, struggled for the summer to remain open, and now, "We're wiped out again. It's just unimaginable."

Shauger said that since Sandy — which filled his arcade with water and sand — business was down by two-thirds.

"It was just enough to survive," Shauger told the AP. "We were really looking forward to next year. And we're still looking forward to next year."