4 dead, 8 injured after fire destroys Jersey Shore motel

USPA News - A large and fast-moving fire swept through a motel on the Jersey Shore on early Friday morning, killing four people and injuring eight others, local officials said. Nine residents initially said to be unaccounted-for were later found safe.

Firefighters in Point Pleasant Beach responded at around 5:30 a.m. local time to the blaze at Mariner`s Cove Motor Inn, which is just two blocks away from the boardwalk. During a press conference, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato said "the wood building went up fast and furiously with wind fueling the flames." Officials initially said three people were killed in the inferno, but a fourth body was recovered by late afternoon. Eight other people were injured in the fire, three of them critically. Nine other guests previously said to be missing were later found safe, and no one remained unaccounted-for. When firefighters first arrived on the scene, the motel was already completely engulfed in flames. Coronato said the second floor of the charred building was no longer structurally sound after the roof collapsed, making it difficult for rescue workers to look for those initially reported to be missing. One of the motel`s residents, Peter Kuch, who suffered a sprained ankle, fled the burning structure by jumping out of one of the building`s windows. He told local media that he called 911 after smelling smoke and, by the time the call was complete, the flames were already at his door. Another resident sought refuge in a shower and kept the water running to escape smoke and flames, said Point Pleasant Beach Fire Chief A.J. Fox. Firefighter Mike Ryan pulled the woman from the bathroom and carried her out a window to firefighter Justin Leach, who brought her down a ladder to safety. The woman was assessed by EMS and taken to a local hospital. It was not immediately clear whether the motel was equipped with smoke detectors, and residents gave conflicting statements as to whether or not they heard fire alarms. The cause of the early morning blaze was also not immediately known, and authorities had yet to confirm the identities of the deceased. The South Jersey Red Cross said it responded to the scene and assisted some of the victims displaced by Friday`s fire. Mariner`s Cove Motor Inn was home to a number of victims of Superstorm Sandy, which tore a path of destruction when it made landfall on the U.S. East Coast in October 2012.