Fire Damages Ocean View Restaurant In Seaside Heights

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ — A fire broke out at the Ocean View restaurant and banquet hall in Seaside Heights on Wednesday, hours before it was set to host its annual New Year's Eve festivities.

The fire broke out a little before 1:30 p.m. on the roof of the restaurant, according to Ron Gaboury, the general manager of Ocean View, that started when a heating unit malfunctioned.

"The building was closed at the time of the incident, and staff members inside are all safe," Gaboury wrote on the restaurant's Facebook page. "A big thank you to Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, and Toms River Fire Departments for their diligent work to minimize damage."

While the New Year's Eve party, which was supposed to begin at 7 p.m., was canceled, he said the restaurant is "going through the process to safely open our doors again."

"We hope to see all of you soon! Thank you for your understanding during this unfortunate time," Gaboury wrote.

Investigators from the Ocean County Fire Marshal's Office were still at the scene as of 4:30 p.m.

The extent of the damage was not immediately known — Gaboury said it had been minimized but did not describe it further. Water could be seen puddled on the floor inside the boardwalk-facing doors, and smoke detectors could be heard beeping. The doors facing the ocean were open as well as efforts to vent smoke from the interior continued.

Caution tape surrounded the front of the building, and an orange notice taped by the main door said the building could not be occupied.