My windows are wide open all night (I have a down comforter and my neighbors smoke like chimneys), and I would've heard sirens. I 'm a light sleeper. Nothing. I read the APP (Asbury Park Press) and it was a developing story. The one picture was of firetrucks and water and it was from Bud McCormick, the Marching Band director of Jackson High school. My ex knows him. i know who he is. I thought he lived in the neighboring town, but he got the winning shot. Damn, I should submit pics to the APP!!! Maybe I'll make some $$$$! Note to self for next time!
I decide to leave for school and drive by the scene. First of all, anything west of Main was blocked off...
I finally weasled my way a little closer to the scene on Ocean Avenue. Every idiot (including me!)was trying to get a shot. The Neptune Emergency Management team was here too. Must have been a really big deal. All the people in those houses have nowhere to live now. I wanted to see if the damage was major or minor. At this distance, all I saw were firetrucks and the water spraying at the scene. It looks like a house was missing.
A little closer look below.
Here's the video I took of the same thing.
I went to school and halfway thru the lecture the power went out. Then it went back on. Then it went out again. It finally went out one last time and the wind picked up speed outside. You could hear the howling. We sat in a dark classroom and the teacher let us go. Yay! Kinda. I was supposed to be at Kristina and Sandy's at 6, then go to my show at either 7 (for the Preconcert Talk) or 8 for the actual show. I still had tons of time to kill. Ended up sitting in my car. Then I went over there and hung out w/ er'body, and saw my show (The Garden State Philharmonic).
That's a pic I snapped of them tonight. The show was nice, as always, glad I got all my tickets in advance, and I headed home. I hoped we had power since the power in Red Bank had gone out. I didnt want to have to throw shit out of my fridge/freezer. I dont have much. Ive been eating tons of oatmeal *gag* to save money and lose weight. I'm so sick of oatmeal though. I swung by where the fire was to see if I could get any closer.
There were cops blocking the road but only one side, the other side had a barricade up that fell down, so..... I drove right in! Fuck that! I saw that not one house fell but about FOUR houses were wiped out. Gone completely! Another house on the left (behind the POD) is gutted by the flames. Wow.... There are some fire hoses still spraying water automatically on the site.
Thats the thing about towns like this with Victorian houses... they're so close together and they're prone to fires. They spread quickly. I like to read those history books about the shore towns where they show how the towns looked in the 1800s. Asbury Park and Ocean Grove used to have huge hotels. Bigger than what they have now (they're mostly Bed and Breakfasts and although some are big, I'm talking 4x the size). When they explain why they're not standing today, it always says "the structure was destroyed by fire." It seems like every old hotel, or place that is no longer HERE was destroyed by fire. I hope that doesn't happen here. With all the god damn smokers in this house!!! I dont know where I'd go if this place burned down. I wonder if FEMA places you (for free) in a home somewhere or if you're just out on the streets.... Something to think about. That was my day today. So many events in one day.
***Edit 1:37am - Word is the Manchester Inn got burned down and yet another hotel to be "destroyed by fire". It was supposedly "haunted" (I don't believe in ghosts or paranormal shit), and they had a murder mystery dinner theater there. Such a shame.
Thats the thing about towns like this with Victorian houses... they're so close together and they're prone to fires. They spread quickly. I like to read those history books about the shore towns where they show how the towns looked in the 1800s. Asbury Park and Ocean Grove used to have huge hotels. Bigger than what they have now (they're mostly Bed and Breakfasts and although some are big, I'm talking 4x the size). When they explain why they're not standing today, it always says "the structure was destroyed by fire." It seems like every old hotel, or place that is no longer HERE was destroyed by fire. I hope that doesn't happen here. With all the god damn smokers in this house!!! I dont know where I'd go if this place burned down. I wonder if FEMA places you (for free) in a home somewhere or if you're just out on the streets.... Something to think about. That was my day today. So many events in one day.
***Edit 1:37am - Word is the Manchester Inn got burned down and yet another hotel to be "destroyed by fire". It was supposedly "haunted" (I don't believe in ghosts or paranormal shit), and they had a murder mystery dinner theater there. Such a shame.
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