Six-alarm fire rages at Seaside Park, N.J., boardwalk - New York Daily News

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[h=4]Kristi Funderburk/Asbury Park Press via AP[/h]Firefighters struggle to contain the fire that started in a custard shop as it rages on the boardwalk.

Firefighters are battling a six-alarm blaze that is ravaging the boardwalk in Seaside Park, N.J.
Emergency crews ordered evacuations in the area north of the FunTown Amusement Pier as thick, black clouds darken the sky and embers scatter in the fierce winds as far as eight blocks away.
Firefighters are reportedly digging a trench on the boardwalk near Lincoln Ave. to prevent the fire from spreading any farther north.

[h=4]CBS Philadelphia[/h][h=4]N.J. Gov. Chris Cristie speaks to the media about fire that has been raging on the boardwalk at Seaside Park.[/h]
The fire reportedly broke out about 2:15 p.m. Thursday at the iconic Kohr's Frozen Custard stand. It spread to neighboring buildings about 15 minutes later and eventually lit up the boardwalk itself.
It escalated quickly to five alarms and eventually reached six just before 4 p.m. It engulfed several buildings and shows no signs of letting up.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.

[h=4]CBS Philadelphia[/h][h=4]The massive fire filled the air with thick clouds of black smoke.[/h]
Seaside Park Police Chief Francis Larkin said that 80 percent of the Ocean County borough's boardwalk has been destroyed.
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“It’s just heartbreaking to see. After what we just went through almost a year ago, and now this. I’m just in disbelief and shock over this. I can’t believe it,” Larkin told WNBC, referencing the hardships locals faced during Hurricane Sandy.

[h=4]Vincent Storino[/h][h=4]The fire destroyed at least 80 percent of Seaside Park's boardwalk, the police chief said.[/h]
Several firefighters and residents are being treated for smoke inhalation, Seaside Heights Police Chief Thomas Boyd told The Star-Ledger. No other injuries have been reported.
"We've got everyone in the county coming," Boyd said. "We're in trouble here. We've got major problems."
Some of the embers are as large as a fist.

[h=4]CBS Philadelphia[/h][h=4]The fire destroys buildings on the FunTown Amusement Pier. [/h]
The strong 20 to 30 miles-per-hour winds keep pushing the flames along the boardwalk. The blaze has spread to at least 19 other buildings and threatens to destroy more pizzerias, bars and stores.
"It just kept getting worse and worse and worse," said Jamie Sundermann as he was helping his brother empty his store about six blocks from the flames.
Crews say they are having difficulty getting enough water to put out the wind-whipped flames, CBS Philly reported.

[h=4]Jersey Shore Hurricane News[/h][h=4]Firefighters from throughout Atlantic and Monmouth counties have been called to the scene.[/h]
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Firefighters from throughout Monmouth and Atlantic counties have been called to the scene. Gov. Chris Christie arrived late in the afternoon.
In the next two to three hours, thunderstorms are expected in the Seaside Heights and Seaside Park area, which could change the winds that have been so challenging for the firefighters, according to Jim Bunker, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s station in Mount Holly, N.J.

[h=4]CBS Philadelphia[/h][h=4]The harsh winds keep pushing the flames and smoke north along the boardwalk.[/h]
The boardwalk underwent extensive repairs after being damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
The fire is just a 10 minute walk south of Casino Pier, where the JetStar roller coaster once stood. The coaster became an icon of Hurricane Sandy’s destruction after it was dragged into the ocean.
“We had a flood, and we stayed, and now we’re getting this,” Seaside Heights resident Gene Welch said while watching the blaze behind yellow police tape. “It’s unbelievable.”
Police are warning visitors to steer clear of the area. 
The Jersey Shore has five Kohr's locations.
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