VIDEO: Two Injured in Tent City Fire

VIDEO: [UPDATED 1:30 AM] Two Tent City residents were injured this morning when their tent went up in flames, as first reported on our News Alerts.

The tent caught fire shortly after midnight.

The Lakewood Fire Department along with a Brush Fire truck were called in to battle the blaze, which fully engulfed the structure.

The fire was knocked down about 15 minutes after it started, after firefighters managed to pull a line to the tent – located about 100 yards off Cedar Bridge Avenue.

The injured were transported by EMS to KMC, in unknown condition.

In the past ten days, there was a death, two fires and a double stabbing at the encampment.

The Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the incident. (TLS-CAC/TLS-CCP)

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62 COMMENTS

  1. Thanx, O Judge from TR for ur compassion for the Tent City resident. Don’t u get it ? Letting them live there is not being nice to them; its called being Cruel to them. D. B.

  2. Another… Even if we think letting them live there is being nice…no it’s not..[It sad to mention but before you know it there will br no more tent city residents] If this keeps on happening.
    Also I wish the ones who got hurt that they should get better fast and that they should move to a real shelter.

    It’s just carzy what went on this past month…

    WHO IS GOING TO WAKE UP?

    This is so wrong of the city…Besides safty…just allowing HUMANS…to suffer. This is Ach. Cruel. Mean. Disgusting…

    Also, all this work they put into tent city…they could have just fixed it up.

    I guessed: There just letting tent city becoming a burnt+stabbing+dead city. EASY WAY OUT.

    Daven for this and for all….WE ARE STILL IN GALUS

    Me and Me

  3. I have an idea….. How about, when the next fire starts, let the LFD & PD go down and let the fire burn (with supervision) until the place is eradicated. Then they can extinguish the fire & goodbye to tent city!! So we’ll lose some trees….. I think it will be far cheaper than what’s going on there every day or two. Maybe we should dedicate a special force in our police & fire dept. for these pple who seem to need their services and don’t contribute a THING (only burdening the taxpayers & legal residents)!?!? ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!! what’s the limit?

  4. Lakewood Township committee, Lakewood step program, Why you didn’t build one bedroom , and studio apartment for the single people, Is That was too hard to ask? You told us you promise us!!
    I wish fast recovery for the injured,

  5. I say publish the name & contact # of this judge, bombard him with phone calls & mail & get the media in on it! This has gone on far too long . This is a serious safety issue!

  6. Fire Marshalls office is investigating because there was 2 injuries from this one..not just because it was a tent city fire again

  7. These people are ruining are town!!! They have taken down too many trees over there and who is letting them?? Our local officials have let this go on long enough! Will someone PLEASE stand up to these people and EVICT them already! They have caused enough pain to us AND to themselves!

  8. Thanks fire dept for putting out my neighbors tent fire, and since trees burned we have more room to build yayyyyy thanks tax payers

  9. Weather we Believe they should be there or not, I think it would be nice if we each could say some tehillim for those who were injured in the fire.

  10. The township committee under the leadership of the new Mayor, Mr Akerman must pass emergency new ordinances prohibiting all fires in a wooded area no matter if they are enclosed in a fire box or a tent. There have been numerous casualties and no judge will argue that theses fires are safer than open ones.

  11. to #8
    you havew to pay for them … even the affordable housing is paid for by the people who get the oppurtunity . i love how you say build us houses give us money give , give , give , give

  12. I think its safe to say that we were minuets away from a massive brush fire in a woods populated by hundreds, a few yards away from a residential neighborhood populated by thousand. Committee men: Its time for action!
    Pikuch nefesh.

  13. Nowhere in these comments do I hear compassion. It is commanded that we show mercy and kindness as we have been shown. WE are responsible for our brothers, NOT for blaming others. What have YOU done today to help,one less fortunate than yourself?

  14. Its unfortunate, and my heart goes out to the poor people who aren’t being cared for properly.

    Think- you would make your seven-year old come inside for the night because he/she doesn’t know how to care for him/herself properly- right?

    Same story here- many of these homeless unfortunately do not have the emotional/mental capacities to care for themselves properly, its time to “make them come in at night”

  15. also, its horrible that we have gotten to the point where i turn on my computer in the morning to find out what happened in tent city the previous night- almost like a sitcom. that is just plain sad

  16. Please listen to me for the sake if human decency.
    A. Place a fence arround the entire property.
    B. Place a govt assistance trailer in the front.
    C. Require each of the residents to register.
    D. Call in EVERY Organization that deals with the homeless, Catholic charities, fema, Jewish federation, habitat for humanity, Hud etc.
    E. Have a plan of action for each person
    F. Fugitives of the law shall return to prison.
    G. Those here illegally shall be deported.
    I WARN YOU IF YOU DON’T DO THIS YOU WILL HAVE SUCH A LAWSUIT ON YOUR HANDS THAT WOULD BANKRUPT THE TOWNSHIP.

  17. Homeless Sue City Of Fresno & Caltran

    The homeless are ready for round two in court with the City of Fresno and Caltrans.An attorney for the homeless claims his clients’ personal property was destroyed during cleanup of homeless encampments last October. The last time the homeless took the City and Caltrans to court they settled for $2.3 million.

    The new legal squabble stems from last year’s cleanup of homeless camps in Downtown Fresno. T

  18. toa tax payer says:
    OK you might not agree with the judges ruling ,but as for “these people are ruining our town” have you looked arrond lakewood beyond tent city ? how about slumlords? how about the massive uncontrolled building ,they are a spec of dust in comparrison to what others are doing!!!!!

  19. Pastor Steve brigim, stop your charade. Give it up.
    To the EPA , if anyone else cuts down trees ,you howl like a bunch of hounds , but when tent city cuts down trees to make more room or for fire wood, you are silent. Shame on you. Be consistent in your views.

  20. Something is seriously wrong with the management (aka township committee) of this town.

    No other town or city would put up with this non-sense.

  21. I know a couple amazing ppl who frequent and/or live in tent city and to most its really not much of a choice…have any of you seen the alternatives? the nasty drug infested motels they put you in over in Seaside and Toms River or the boarding houses…unless you personally know someone in that situation or been in the situation yourself HOW DARE YOU…..i couldn’t agree more that these people (and they are people, human beings not animals) need a warm SAFE place to live and unless your going to actively be part of the solution then your just the problem….i pray those I know are safe and I pray for the recovery and well being spiritually, mentally and physically for the ones injured in the fire God Bless you all

  22. Dear Helen,
    Feel bad for them you may , but come live in our neighborhood for a while and I think you will understand us as well. We want clean air. We want our woman and children to be safe. We want to be able to walk our streets that our tax money for our property that we pay, with out having to see or smell the filth from tent city.
    Wether or not these people are there by choice or not, it’s illegal and making our community dirty, lowering our property value and lowering our standard of living. If you feel bad for them, feel bad for us as we’ll.

  23. The situation is out of control. Residents of Tent City cannot care for themselves, and no one else is there to take care of them. When this occurs, and a person becomes a danger to him/her self or others, then it is proper and fitting to remove them from the danger.

    It is inhumane to believe that they can sustain temperatures anywhere near freezing in a tent. They are a danger to everyone, and the Township must be merciful by relocating them to a place that can provide the needed services.

  24. Bill, I can’t agree with you more. But let’s relocate them to a
    place where their needs will be met AS WELL AS RESIDENTS IN THE SURROUNDIND ARE, which means relocate them away from us.

  25. I don’t see any uncontrolled building in Lakewood , if you don’t agree. With the. Planning board you should vote them out , every structure is approved

  26. Majority of the residents live there by choice. Claiming that you are just trying to look out for them by trying to evict them is showing how ridiculous of a situation this has become. Nobody cares about them except for the people who donate supplies to Steve and to the camp itself. I have been inside the camp and have not seen any clear cut areas of trees, all the wood is donated. And since a major storm leveled a lot of trees in the area, I’d say its a good chance they have plenty of wood to burn without cutting down new trees. Trying to evict them because you claim it is a “dangerous” situation is just showing a new side of selfishness. Claiming to be looking out for their best interest is a front for just trying to get your way because you do not like them. Seems to me that the LFD has had a few more house fires than tent fires over the course of the year. You should all be evicted from your homes because it is dangerous. How many times does EMS or Hatzolah have to go to HOUSES for injuries due to burns from boiling water, stove tops, ovens, etc etc. Let alone the amount of cooking fires the fire department responds to. Please stop claiming it is in these peoples “best interest” to be evicted from this camp and take the time to help them.

  27. #22 FIRE
    “They should have evacuated ashley ave, how did they know this massive fire in the woods wouldnt spread. The FD was negligent.”

    Please Stop with your uneducated statement. At 12.30 AM the local winds were from the southwest less than 5MPH , the RH was above 90 percent and the fuel moisture for the 10 hour fuels located in the camp was over 15. With the upcoming snow and a few others factors the fire was never of any danger to the any resident of Lakewood nor Ashley Ave. The fire department at no time was negligent in their duties. So please stop with the slander campaign.

  28. See, we only hear of tent city cus of fires and stuff like that. Look at all the homless…tent it is…..

    CREATE AN ORG. AND THAT SHOULD HOST AND FIX UP THESE PEOPLE THEN THAY CAN WORK, FEED, AND BE A MORM HUMAN.

    this is the ONLY sence avail. “Housing that is open to everyone in the town.”

    ME AND ME.

    ENOF IS ENOF

    AGREE?

  29. Mr 22
    How correct !!! They want to be there !! And not anywhere else.
    They have choices and choose. Tent city as its a free for all where drugs and spirits are available.
    If you truly cared you would take a few people into your home and get them a job

  30. TO: #24
    The affordable housing will go the same way it went on the 2 new developments off Spruce street….

    To:#25
    Lakewood’s brush truck is down for repair, they can’t buy a new one because “the tax payers” keep voting down the Fire Budget.

    TO:#40
    You don’t see uncontrolled building? When was the last time you actually drove around time.

  31. Its very nice to tell all the people who complain to be part of the solution. If I was a resident of that area, I would also be upset and expect our elected officials to take care of the problem. It is not the responsibility of the people living in houses near tent city to provide a solution. Just like it is not my responsibility to single handedly hunt down the man who robbed my house…there is a police force for that. It is part of living in a society with rules, regulations, and services. I understand fully that those squatting in tent city might be “the nicest people” or “normal”, but what they are doing is wrong and there needs to be some accountability for that, and that accountability does not fall on the shoulders of the people pointing out that fact!

  32. To # 25.
    Lakewoods brush truck has been broken for 2 months now. Keep voting down the fire budget and a lot of other equipment will not be fixed because of lack of funds.

  33. Look these people wanna live here ,Social Services offer them volchers too go too Motels even apartments.. they dont wanna because theres rules they cant drink , or do any kind of drugs, or get loud, they dont want rules at tent city they can do there own thing, and people make it easy for them bringing what ever they need..Why would they wanna leave .. its ashame but its true!!

  34. I cant imagine the stuff that is leeching into our drinking water from this “neighborhood.” Maybe the LCWS can patrol the area.

  35. If you want them out, build them a Shelter. A motel is just that – a temporary place. The shelter can be very long term. Once there is a shelter the Judge will allow their eviction.
    Oh and I wouldn’t listen to #26. Harrassing a Judge is a serious offense. Let #26 do it first and I’ll visit him in Jail.

  36. Maybe we should all pitch tents there and see how they react. I have a sneaky suspicion tat they will run us out like wild chickens. Then lets see if they are really caring for everyone.

  37. nope, they like wild chickens. they have a bunch that are always on the edge of cedar bridge. let’s see em try to cross the street- feathers will fly!

  38. The way I see it, if there isn’t going to be a township meeting addressing this situation: a) people will continue to gripe & not act & tent city will grow, thus increasing the likelihood of more “incidents” or b) things will get completely out of hand as residents will take it upon themselves to rid these people forcibly.

  39. Was there something unacceptable about my comment written yesterday that it was censored and not posted? No profanity….how do you pick and choose which comments are “acceptable”??
    This is a free country, correct?

Comments are closed.