A massive blaze ripped through seven high-end summer rental homes in Manasquan but its too soon to tell what caused the fire.

Manasquan Fire Chief Mike Galos says the fire was intense and investigators cannot yet determine what caused the fire.

Two of the homes along First Avenue at Pompano Avenue  were lost according to fire officials, 2 suffered heavy damage and 2 just minor damage. Aluminum siding on a home across the street melted.

The homes were described as high-end summer rentals and were undergoing renovations following superstorm Sandy. One home had no sheet rock installed which may have helped the flames spread more quickly.

Galos tells News 12 New Jersey firefighting efforts were hampered by sand deposited on the roadways by Sandy.

The fire began in a bungalow in the 200 block of First Avenue and quickly spread to the two adjoining homes and two oceanfront home in front reports the Star Ledger. Ellen Dana, the owner of the bungalow, says the bungalow was going to be torn down because of extensive storm damage.

A couple from New York owns the bungalow's main home reports the Star Ledger.

TV footage shows extensive damage and a blackened foundation. What's not clear is whether the structure on the foundation burned down or was destroyed earlier by Sandy.

There's no word yet on the cause but initial reports indicate there were no injuries.

The area was opened back up only this past weekend to residents and homeowners according to the Star Ledger.


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Ilya Hemlin, Dan Alexander and the Associated Press contributed to this story.

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