By Bob Vosseller and Jason Allentoff
SEASIDE PARK – Twelve years have passed since flames tore through the Seaside boardwalk, destroying dozens of businesses and leaving a community already recovering from Superstorm Sandy reeling once again.
The fire sparked on the afternoon of September 12, 2013, beneath the boardwalk near Kohr’s Frozen Custard and Biscayne Candies in Seaside Park. Fanned by 30 to 40 mile-per-hour winds and fueled by dry wood and tar roofing material, the blaze raced north into Seaside Heights. By nightfall, more than 400 firefighters from across the state were on scene, cutting trenches in the boardwalk in a desperate bid to contain the inferno.
Despite their efforts, the flames devoured four blocks of businesses, including the Funtown Pier amusement park, and damaged 68 storefronts. Embers carried by the wind briefly ignited new fires at Casino Pier and a nearby condominium complex, but those were quickly knocked down.
The scene was chaotic enough to prompt then-Governor Chris Christie to arrive in person as firefighting units from county agencies, the Forest Fire Service and the Port Authority joined the effort. Even a Homeland Security-funded water cannon system was deployed. The fire was declared under control by 7:45 p.m. No fatalities were reported, though three police officers were injured in the response.
Investigators later determined the fire was accidental, caused by wiring beneath the boardwalk that had been corroded by Sandy’s flooding the year before. Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato announced the findings days later, linking the cause to electrical components not replaced after the storm.
In the weeks that followed, demolition crews cleared the ruins at a cost of $4.7 million. Christie pledged $15 million in aid for affected businesses, while the boardwalk repair bill was estimated at $1.88 million.
For residents, the morning after painted a surreal picture: smoke still drifting over the ocean, the sharp scent of charred timber lingering, and surfers riding waves just yards from smoldering ruins. It was a reminder of both loss and resilience along the Jersey Shore.
