Belmar Mayor Matt flames reached as high as 30 feet at one point. He said the fire broke out at about 1 p.m. Watch video
BELMAR -- A massive blaze at a marina Tuesday afternoon damaged at least 10 boats and sent a large plume of black smoke in the air that could be seen miles away.
The fire started shortly before 1 p.m. at the Seaport Inlet Marina on 5th Avenue, near the bridge that connects Belmar and Avon-by-the-Sea.
Belmar Mayor Matthew Doherty said there were no injuries reported and no damage to nearby homes.
The fire started on a boat and spread to others, Doherty said. The exact cause is still under investigation, he added.
The owner of the marina, Robert Gerzsenyi, said it looks like the fire started while a worker was repairing the shrink wrap that covers boats in the off-season. The wrap is applied to the boats by heat.
"The flame caught a piece of the (boat's) canvass and it caught on fire," Gerzsenyi said.
He said about 10 boats were damaged by the fire. The marina houses approximately 150 boats, and they are stored on racks outside the water.
By 3 p.m., fire crews were still dousing hot spots with firefighting foam, but the bulk of the blazed was extinguished.
Multiple fire departments and agencies from around the area responded to the scene. News copters hovered above.
Doherty said power in the area of 5th Avenue east of Main Street will be cut out for at least a couple of hours.
BELMAR (MONMOUTH) - 3RD ALARM - BOAT FIRES. pic.twitter.com/2FcqYdbSHB
-- NJ Fire Incidents (@wt2fd) February 14, 2017
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.