BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer
Firefighters spray water on the Peking Pavilion, Route 33, Manalapan, to douse remaining hot spots after a fire gutted the popular restaurant on Sunday afternoon. By Monday, snow covered what remained of the restaurant. An investigation was continuing Monday into the cause of a fire that did extensive damage to the Peking Pavilion restaurant, Route 33, Manalapan, on Sunday afternoon.
Firefighters from Manal-apan and nearby communities rushed to the scene of the blaze and fought the fire in freezing temperatures.
The staff of the restaurant evacuated several patrons and authorities said no one was injured in the blaze.
JERRYWOLKOWITZ staff Authorities said initial indications were that the fire started in the kitchen. Despite the efforts of employees to put it out, the blaze spread to the building’s ventilation system and made it impossible for the staff to extinguish.
Manalapan police Sgt. Maggie Freeman said the structural fire was reported at 2:06 p.m. by an employee of the restaurant. Police sped to the restaurant and secured the scene as firefighters responded to extinguish the fire.
The building was fully engulfed in flames as the first emergency responders arrived, according to a press release issued by the Manalapan Police Department.
Route 33 was closed in both directions in the vicinity of the restaurant, and traffic from the highway was diverted to local roads.
Later in the afternoon, Manalapan Fire Company No. 1 Assistant Chief John Moretti reported that the outside structure of the restaurant was still up, but that the roof had collapsed.
“There were workers in the restaurant at the time the fire began and fortunately no people were injured. They were all out in time,” Moretti said.
Monmouth County Deputy Fire Marshal Rick Hogan said there were about seven patrons in the restaurant when the fire broke out in the kitchen.
“The business was open prior to the fire,” Hogan said. “The Peking Pavilion staff evacuated all of the customers to the outside of the building and then went and attempted to extinguish the fire in the kitchen.”
Hogan said restaurant employees used a fire extinguisher on the fire in the kitchen, but he noted that the fire reached the kitchen ventilation system. From there it went into the attic and spread to the rest of the building. The roof was destroyed.
“The rest of the building sustained heavy water and fire damage,” Hogan said.
According to the police press release, the fire was declared under control at 3 p.m. It was completely extinguished at 4 p.m.
At 5:30 p.m., Moretti said firemen were on scene taking care of any remaining hot spots.
Fire Chief John Marini was the incident commander at the scene and Moretti was in charge of operations.
According to the police press release, the following fire departments responded to the scene and assisted with the fire: Gordons Corner Fire Company and Manalapan Fire Company No. 1 from Manalapan; Englishtown Fire Department; Robertsville Fire Company from Marlboro; Adelphia Fire Company, Freewood Acres and Southard Fire Company, all from Howell; Millstone Fire Department and Clarksburg Fire Department from Millstone; Applegarth Fire Company, Central Monroe Fire Department and Monroe Fire Department from Monroe Township; Freehold Borough Fire Department; and Freehold Township Independent Fire Company from Freehold Township.
Tanker trucks from Freehold Independent, Millstone, Applegarth, Monroe, Jackson Mills (Jackson Township), Adelphia, Millhurst, Marlboro, Southard and Freewood Acres responded to the scene.
The Englishtown-Manalapan First Aid Squad and the Marlboro First Aid Squad also responded to the scene.
During the time that the fire departments were battling the blaze, the Allentown Fire Department covered the Millstone Fire Company; the Jamesburg Fire Department covered the Englishtown Fire Department; Marlboro covered the Gordons Corner Fire Company; and the Adelphia Fire Company covered Manalapan Fire Company No. 1.
Route 33 eastbound and Millhurst Road were reopened at 6:20 p.m. and Route 33 westbound was reopened at 7 p.m. The state Department of Transportation Traffic Diversion Team and the New Jersey State Police assisted with the road closures and traffic.
There were no injuries to firefighters or any of the emergency workers, according to Hogan, who said at this time the fire is considered to have been accidental in nature.
The fire is being investigated by Manalapan Detective Sgt. Robert Rushnak and Manalapan Detective Joseph Moreto, and the Monmouth County Fire Marshal’s Office.
Also responding to the scene were Sgt. Edward Niesz and officers Michael Hoppock, Ken Mikulik, Seth Kreizman, William Dutton and Jennie Barron.
Moretti thanked the Manalapan Diner, Route 9, Mama Lina’s Restaurant, Gordons Corner Road, and Gus’s Restaurant, Route 33, for supplying food and coffee for the firemen and emergency workers during the incident.