200 Emergency Responders Help Quench Route 166 Fire

The heat of fire coupled with the heat of June and a metal roof created a two-hour fight for more than 150 firefighters at a blaze that heavily damaged portions of a small strip mall on Route 166 near Old Freehold Road and James Street in Toms River this morning.

., it wasn't until 10 a.m. that a ceiling fire and black plumes of smoke were contained, officials said.

The blaze ripped through all four businesses in the plaza: Wizard O'Wash laundromat, Bombay convenience store, Attilio's Pizza and Vespia's Goodyear Tires.

Drawing manpower from as far away as Stafford Township, the fire fight was not a simple task amid high-90 degree weather and humidity, said Toms River Fire Co. 1 Commanding Officer John Mount.

"We had 25 companies contribute to this," Mount said. "We're not talking apparatus but manpower."

Still the small parking lot of the strip mall and the portion of the closed major road of  Route 166 was filled with emergency responder vehicles — ladder crews, hose trucks, EMS vehicles, fire police, a Hazmat team, the state Department of transportation personnel, county fire marshals and more — all working to extinguish the working fire and keeping each other safe in an exhaustive heat. Mount said several dozen EMS were on hand in addition to the fire fighters.

All the while, shop owners stood nearby, saying they were speechless at the sight of their longtime businesses now a mess of smoke damage, fire hose water and charred debris.

The pizzeria was closed at the time of the fire alarm, but Goodyear, the convenience store and the laundromat were all open, Mount said.

Those inside had already evacuated by 7:50 a.m., Mount said.

"They were all out by the time we got here," Mount said.

Mount said firefighters worked in shifts to get the fire under control, attacking it from above but also as crews worked with multiple hose lines on the ground. The fire alarm came from Wizard O'Wash, and then spread to the adjacent businesses via the ceiling, Toms River Police Chief Michael Mastronardy said.

The building's metal, corrugated roof kept the fire's heat inside, presenting a challenge for firefighters.

 "If this were a house, there'd be a wood roof, it would burn off and release all the heat," Mount said. "The metal roof trapped everything inside."

One firefighter was transported to Community Medical Center for heat exhaustion, said Mastronardy. It was the only report of injury during the incident, Mount said. 

Mount said the real issue was heat and humidity from today's weather forecast. Normally a firefighter who has completed a shift will exit and go to area to cool down, removing heavy firesuits and welcoming cool air. Instead they were greeted to nearly 100-degree heat.

 Keeping everyone cool was a big part of the day's work, Mount said. "Luckily the DMV inspection station is right there, we used its shade for our rehab, as a cool down," Mount said. "All the guys head over there to get water. The threat of heat exhaustion is very real."

EMS distributed towels wet with cold water. Bottle after bottle of water was chugged or splashed on one's face to battle the heat, all amid efforts for battling a fire.

The area was off limits for traffic. A trip down Route 166 toward Route 37 instead sent vehicles onto Old Freehold Road, as that portion of Route 166 was closed for several hours this morning. So were portions of James and Division streets near Route 166, and the length of Presidential Boulevard was blocked off. Those hoping to use Route 166 north past the Route 37 intersection were instead directed east.

The fire remains under investigation by the Toms River Fire Prevention Bureau.