Flames and thick, white smoke could be seen coming from a large waterfront house burning at the Jersey Shore Monday morning.
The blaze broke out around 4:15 a.m. on Dec. 23, 2024, at a Holly Drive home in the Long Beach Township section of Long Beach Island, New Jersey, Barnegat Light Assistant Fire Chief 'Sponge' Washburn said. The house is situated on the bayside of LBI.
When firefighters arrived they saw 4 to 5 foot flames coming from the fire that appeared to have started in the garage and moved across the house, Washburn said.
The fire eventually went to four alarms, meaning that most fire companies on LBI -- and even some from the Mainland -- responded, Washburn said. Around 200 firefighters responded during the morning, taking turns in battling the flames.
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Firefighters could be seen dousing flames at the sprawling three-story house as thick white smoke rose into the cold winter air.
Luckily, no one was in the home at the time of the blaze and no one was hurt, Washburn said.
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Online real estate websites estimate the house to be worth millions of dollars.
Temperatures were in the teens when the firefighters arrived. It was the coldest morning at the Jersey Shore so far this year and in some spots, the coldest in almost two years.
The bitter cold morning hindered the firefight, Washburn said, leading to water quickly freezing on the ground and even some nozzles freezing. Salt trucks were called in to battle the ice.
“It was a big challenge because as soon as we put the water on it, you can look at the trucks now, everything is still covered in a sheet of ice,” Washburn said. “Very slippery conditions. We had nozzles freezing up. It was a problem.”
Another issue was that the house's gas line caught fire and continued to burn until the gas company was able to shut it off, Washburn said.
It took crews a few hours to get the fire under control, firefighters said. Crews continued to douse hot spots through the morning.
The fire marshal is currently investigating what caused the house to go up in flames.
Vincent DiSalvo, a neighbor, told NBC10 the owners of the home are currently vacationing in Hawaii.
“We felt so badly for them. The house was just completely rebuilt just a few years ago. It’s a beautiful home,” he said. “They put a lot of love and attention into the house.”
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