Photos from the SHFD/Seaside Heights Property Owner’s Barbeque…

Station 44 responds to structure fire in Ocean Beach…

A 21st Birthday is an event to remember, especially when a large party is held on a big home on the Barnegat Bay at the Jersey Shore.

Such was the case the night of Saturday July 18th, in a rambling home on one of the quiet back streets of Ocean Beach, one of the shore communities of the Township of Toms River. However, the festivities came to a screaming halt, literally, as 18 persons staying in the home were screaming for their lives, as some jumped from as high as the second floor balcony, early on the morning of Sunday the 19th, as the property was consumed in a heavy fire that nearly collapsed the entire structure.

One of the nine injured persons inside the home was badly burned, according to eyewitnesses, before he was helicoptered to the St. Barnabas Burn Center in Livingston, New Jersey.

According to TR Police Chief Michael Mastronardy, “Toms River Police continue to investigate an early morning fire Sunday at 256 Kathryn Street in the north beach area of the Township. An emergency 911 call was called in at 5:21 a.m., after one of the residents in the house awoke to the structural fire in the two story house located at the end of the dead end street. As she was waking other residents, the smoke alarms activated.”

The original call stated there were possible entrapments and two structure fires. At first, not only was it thought to be two fires, but it was believed and described on emergency radio bands that it was a two-year old child trapped on the second floor. However, this was quickly proven untrue.

Chief Mastronardy continued to say, “When the first officer, Jason Putkowski, arrived, within one minute of the call, all residents had escaped from the fire, some exiting from the second story of the home. Six had jumped from the second floor deck, and two had jumped from second floor bedroom window. The family dog also was able to get out of the house. A parakeet that they family was taking care of also escaped from the cage, when it hit the ground and opened.”

According to officials, the vacation home is owned by Joseph Kemka, of Florham Park, New Jersey, and had many visitors spending the night after celebrating a 21 birthday party last evening. According to the Chief’s statement, both Mr. and Mrs. Kemka were present, and awoken by their daughter, escaping without injury.

The injured treated at Community Medical Center in Toms River are Kelly Krieg, 22, of Morristown, Kristen Sullivan, 21, of Waldworth, New York, Danielle DeFeo, 21, of Yorktown Heights, New York, Jill Butch, 33, of Toms River, April Buono, 22, of East Hanover and Andi Ardolino, 21, Ashley Simeone, 21, and Sandy Reg, 21, all of Florham Park.

The Toms River Office of Emergency Management was on scene, as well as fire departments from Ocean Beach, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Mantoloking, Lavallette, East Dover Toms River 1 & 2.

Seaside Heights Station 44 and Lavallette Station 69 were dispatched by Ocean Beach Chief Michael Barile almost as soon as he first reached the scene at 5:26 a.m.

During the fire, a highly unusual message was issued over the main channel of the fire frequency of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department: all personnel should evacuate the fire scene in Ocean Beach. Fear was of an imminent collapse of the building, at one point in the fire.

Tri-Boro Silverton, Dover- Brick, Pleasant Plains and Toms River Police EMS First Aid treated the 8 victims who suffered minor smoke inhalation.

A ninth victim, Patrick Massaroni, 21, of White Plains New York, was airlifted to hospital as previously mentioned, due to smoke inhalation and burns.

Route 35 southbound was closed for about two hours during the fire operations, and traffic was detoured by The State of New Jersey Department of Transportation Emergency Response team, Fire Police from multiple companies, Toms River Auxiliary Police, and both the Police Departments of Toms River and Lavallette.

Smoke was evident for miles, on the clear morning, with picture perfect weather, amid the frightening scene.

Seaside Heights Fire Auxiliary members Maureen Connelly and Diane Martinez were among the members of their unit who responded to the scene. Martinez alone served water to the interior firefighters at this particular incident, as she did at the large staging area of another high-profile event earlier this summer.

Investigating the cause of the blaze is the Toms River Township Bureau of Fire Prevention, Toms River Police Officer Jason Putkowski and Detective James Magovern.

List of Station 44 calls in 2009

CLICK HERE to a frequently updated list of calls that Station 44 responded to, including maps from Google Earth, that shows the precise location of the call!

Firefighter Shaun Kennett launches additional Station 44 website…

As of May 2009, SHFD Firefighter Shaun Kennett has designed an additional Station 44 website.

The website address is http://www.heightsfire.350.com

The site is very up-to-the-minute, and there is now a permanent link to it on shfd44.com.

Shaun’s site feature some very cool photos INCLUDING PHOTOS OF THE NEW RESCUE  TRUCK UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WHICH CAN BE SEEN BY CLICKING HERE.

There is also a Station 44 myspace account, which also now appears as a permanent link on shfd44.com.

Station 44 reports to 3 fires in 4 days April 23rd-26th, 2009

Mike Cerosky of 23rd Avenue in the South Seaside Park section of Berkeley Township lived in one of the two houses that caught fire on the street on the afternoon of Thursday April 23rd. Mike said all his gas appliances began smoking at once, and right after he was able to cut electric and gas to the house, a huge fire erupted.

UTILITIES PERHAPS TO BLAME? While Seaside Park firefighters were busy fighting the Cerosky house fire, this house directly across the street suddenly burst into flames as well.

Seaside Heights Station 44 and Lavallette’s Station 69 were called to extinguish this fire. The firefighter in the picture is Greg Kohr. Pete could never get this close. The picture is courtesy of SHFD firefighter Matt Semeraro.

This truck caught fire in the CVS parking lot on the morning of Saturday April 25th. Once again, Matt Semeraro took the shots.

Another angle of the burned truck.

SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM EVERY PART of the Sawmill, at Stockton Avenue and The Boardwalk in Seaside Heights.

Look carefully, and you can see smoke is pouring out of every opening in the two-story embattled bar & restaurant. The Sawmill sustained heavy smoke and water damage as a result of the fire.

THANKS AGAIN MATT SEMERARO, who got these exclusive shots of inside the Sawmill for readers.