MANCHESTER – A popular pub in the township sustained damage following an early morning blaze.
Manchester Police Capt. Todd Malland that Alba’s Pub located in the Ridgeway section of Manchester caught fire around 7:22 a.m. on May 1. Around that time, officers responded to a burglar alarm that went off and arrived to find smoke billowing from the establishment.
The restaurant/tavern is located at 2313 County Road 547, for an interior motion burglar alarm. Upon arrival, officers reported observing heavy smoke coming from the roof and eves of the building.
Firefighters from Manchester, Ridgeway, Whiting, Lakehurst, Pleasant Plains, and Toms River Volunteer Fire Departments as well as firefighters from the Joint Base Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire.
The pub sustained heavy fire, smoke, and water damage. Route 547 had to be closed down between Route 70 and Route 571 while suppression and overhaul operations were conducted.
EMTs from the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Medical Services and police officers from the Lakehurst Police Department were also on hand responding to the fire.
Detective Joseph Fastige of the township police department’s Investigations Bureau is conducting an investigation to ascertain the cause of the blaze with the assistance of members of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office.
The owners of Albas Pub issued a thank you to “everyone that has reached out to us this morning. We’re all safe and we’re very fortunate that no one was inside the building when the fire started.”
“Thank you to all the first responders that came to the scene and everyone that’s been helping u through this,” the statement added.
The statement added, “rest assured that we have already begun the process to rebuild and come back stronger than before to serve our community.”
