UPDATE: Europa South Reopens Sun. Night Following Fire

By Denise Di Stephan and Douglas Bergen

Europa South restaurant, 521 Arnold Ave., at Route 35 South, Point Beach, reopened at about 6:15 p.m. Sunday, following a fire that did not cause any injuries and caused only minor damage, according to restaurant staff and police.

The Ocean County Fire Marshal's Office cleared the restaurant to reopen after responding to the scene with the Ocean County Health Department, according to staff.

Prior to the restaurant reopening, Route 35 South and Arnold Avenue had reopened after being temporarily closed Sunday afternoon as firefighters responded to the scene.

Officer Kyle Grace of the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department said the fire broke out near an air vent on the restaurant's roof and was relatively minor. But the firefighting effort forced the closing of Route 35 South and Arnold Avenue for more than an hour on a sunny weekend afternoon.

Nobody was injured, and damage to the structure was not substantial, Grace said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Ocean County Fire Marshal's Office.

The Point Pleasant Beach Fire Department and the Point Pleasant Beach First Aid and Emergency Squad also responded.