Fire destroys West Wildwood marina office, storage building

WEST WILDWOOD — Fire destroyed an unoccupied marina office and storage building Monday, drawing multiple fire companies and about 80 firefighters to battle the blaze.

Billowing smoke from the fire at B&E Marine, one of several marinas in the small borough, was visible for miles away before the fire was brought under control.

Click here for a photo gallery of the fire

West Wildwood Fire Chief William Cripps said fire crews were called to the.....Contine Reading 

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the scene at 10:56 a.m. and found the wooden structure engulfed in flames. Much of the fire was out about two hours later, though small flames from various hot spots remained.

Cripps said the fire was fully extinguished by 2 p.m.

Investigators from the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office and Cape May County Fire Marshal Conrad Johnson were on the scene and started their investigation after the fire was extinguished.

Cripps said the cause was unknown and he did not know where in the building the fire began. Nearby boats covered in shrink wrap were not damaged. Fire crews doused the nearest boats with water from a ladder truck to prevent the fire from moving beyond the building.

Stephenie Perez, daughter of owner Michele Blivin, said the fire primarily damaged the mechanical shop at the marina, but the company's files and computers were spared.

She credited the fire departments with working to fight the blaze and save what they could.

Perez added that the fire was contained to the single bulding.

"We've got customers all over the tri-state area and none of the boats were harmed," she said.

Perez said she expects an appraisal of the cost of the damage to be made today.

Blivin purchased the marina in 1996.

"A lot of memories went up in flames. A lot of people said that buildng was 125 years old," Perez said.

She said the marina was on track to open as usual in mid-February to March.

According to online property tax records, the marina at 626 W. 26 Street, which sits on a part of the borough separated from the rest of town, is assessed at more than $1.1 million, with the structures on the property assessed at $250,400.

Fire officials had not assessed the damage caused by the fire Monday.

Resident Bill Shisler, who lives about five houses away from the marina, said Blivin was a friend and neighbor who helped him move his boat during a storm and he was sorry to see the marina damaged.

Wildwood Commissioner Tony Leonetti, a volunteer firefighter in Wildwood Crest, said he saw the smoke while he was on the scene of a small electrical fire in the southern end of the island.

The fire was also seen from as far away as the George Redding Bridge and the Garden State Parkway.

Cripps said that in addition to the West Wildwood Volunteer Fire Company and West Wildwood Police Department, fire companies from across the island and beyond responded. They included fire companies from Wildwood, North Wildwood, Rio Grande and Wildwood Crest. Rescue crews from Rio Grande also responded, along with a Cape May County HAZMAT team.

Firefighters on the scene said no one was inside the burning building and there are no reported injuries.

Contact Trudi Gilfillian: 609-463-6716 TGilfillian@pressofac.com