Wind-Whipped Fire Burns Ocean Grove Hotel to Ground

The Manchester Inn Bed and Breakfast in Ocean Grove burned to the ground this morning, according to a local report and an APP bulletin, taking nearby buildings down with it in a wind-swept fire that started around 5 am at the hotel. The Inn is only a block away from the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association. As of 11:30 am, roughly two hundred firefighters and EMS remain on site, concerned that embers will rekindle the blaze, which was otherwise controlled about 9:30 am. The Jersey Coast Chapter of the Red Cross is on the scene providing assistance to victims and rescue workers.

UPDATE: Eleven homes have been damaged or destroyed near the Manchester. The Red Cross has placed 5 families in local hotels and is ready to deal with more. Wind gusts of 35 MPH have rekindled some flames. Blogfinger, a local blog in Ocean Grove, is covering the fire in considerable detail.