published Atlantic Highlands Herald 6 July 2006

story and photo
by Allan Dean

HIGHLANDS, NJ — A structure fire at 77 Navesink Avenue (Highway 36) in Highlands on Monday gutted the second floor of the building and closed the highway in both directions for a couple hours between the bridge and Linden Avenue.

The house is on the south side of the highway between OLPH Church and Off the Hook Restaurant.

Traffic was diverted from Linden at Rte 36, along Bay Avenue to the bridge for two hours while firefighters battled the blaze.

Joyce Carter, who lives in the house and was home at the time if the fire, escaped unharmed. Firefighters helped rescue her pets: a dog, cats and birds.

The fire started on the second floor and appears to be accidental. Its cause is under investigation by the Monmouth County fire marshal's office, according to Highlands Fire Marshal Paul Murphy.

The heat from the fire warped the siding on next-door neighbor Cindy Fair's house. Fair tried in vain to douse the fire with a garden hose before firefighters arrived.

Fire Units from Highlands, Atlantic Highlands, Middletown, Rumson and Sea Bright responded to mutual aid requests to Highlands. Middletown's AIR unit and First Aid Squads from Highlands, Atlantic Highlands and Middletown were on the scene.

A GPU Energy truck made its way through traffic backed up past Buttermilk Valley to the scene at 77 Highway 36 to cut power.