Fire forces 130 out of Jersey Shore senior apartment building
BRICK — A senior apartment building was evacuated Friday night following a fire on the fourth floor.
One hundred and thirty residents of the George Conway Towers in Brick, many of them over the age of 65, were brought to another apartment building as firefighters responded to the heavy smoke created by the fire, according to Brick Police.
Police said the fire fully engulfed a unit on the fourth floor of the four-story building on Chambersbridge Road. The building suffered extensive water damage, and residents were not allowed back into their apartments, according to police.
Most residents were taken in by family and friends, according to police. The New Jersey chapter of the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army provided temporary shelter for 50 residents, police said.
The Red Cross said it opened a temporary shelter at 60 Drum Point Road in Brick for displaced residents.
One resident was hospitalized for minor burns and smoke inhalation while two others for cardiac conditions.
Brick Mayor Ducey praised the volunteer fire fighters who responded.
"It was a fantastic job by our volunteer fire, our police and police EMS. Our emergency management team led by Chief Riccio and Joe Pawlowicz had an excellent plan in place in case something like this happened," Ducey told New Jersey 101.5."We are working on permanent shelters. Overall an excellent community effort which could have been a life altering disaster for many.
George Conway Towers has 266 units and is owned by the Brick Housing Authority.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Fire Bureau.
Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ.