Wildwood Boardwalk shared a scorching three-alarm fire to their Facebook page on Tuesday – the Sea Kist Motel nearly went up in flames!
The scene took place three blocks away from the “Wildwood” sign.
Allegedly, the fire started with a contractor’s welding torch at the Winward Hotel – where firefighters initially responded.
The fire was called in around 11 am. No one staying in the area was injured.
The video from the Wildwood Boardwalk Facebook page shows firefighters working tirelessly to put the fire out. WPG reports it has been extinguished.
No other properties were damaged by the fire. Traffic in the area resumed by 3:30 pm.
ABC6 reports neighbor Maria McBride saying, “You could feel the heat, you could smell it. You felt like you were in a situation where you weren't comfortable. You needed to get out." McBride was staying in the condo complex across the street – she grabbed her family and ran.
In a statement to ABC6, Wildwood Fire Department Chield Ernie Troiano said, “We chased the fire a bit. The wind was pushing it quite a bit, so we went to a second alarm before going to a third alarm because it was pretty manpower intensive.”
The Sea Kist is a motel on the beach of Wildwood, New Jersey. It has gained popularity amongst families and beach-goers looking for a quick or last-minute getaway to Wildwood.
Damages from the fire are estimated to be around $500,000.
News sources from Philidelphia to Long Island have been hovering over the Wildwood boardwalk renovations. Fortunately, the fire has had a minimal effect on the boardwalk’s progress.
The fire also comes at a bad time as the Barefoot Country Music Festival will be hosted on the beach starting Thursday. Changes to the scheduling of the music festival have yet to be announced.
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