Charred surfboards and merchandise sit in a pile behind the 7th Street Surf Shop on the Ocean City Boardwalk on Sunday, May 17, the day after a devastating fire.
Fire destroyed a popular surf shop on the Boardwalk on Saturday night, just one week before Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start of the summer season in Ocean City.
“Unfortunately, the surf shop suffered a total loss,” Ocean City Fire Chief Christopher Breunig said in a news release.
Barricades block the entrance to the 7th Street Surf Shop on the Ocean City Boardwalk on Sunday, May 17, but the boardwalk was undamaged by the blaze that destroyed the store.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation Sunday morning.
Firefighters responded to 7
th Street Surf Shop at 654 Boardwalk about 8 p.m. Saturday night. They encountered heavy flames and smoke billowing from the building. Firefighters were able to contain the bulk of the fire to the surf shop, but two neighboring businesses suffered minor damage, Breunig said.
Fire companies from Somers Point and Marmora also responded to the scene. Firefighters brought the blaze under control in about an hour, but fire crews remained on the scene into the night Saturday, cleaning up debris and extinguishing hot spots.
The shop, which sells surfboards, clothing and surfing accessories, was open when the fire started, but no injuries were reported in the blaze.
The Boardwalk was closed between 6
th and 7
th streets after the fire Saturday night, but reopened Sunday morning.
The boardwalk itself was undamaged by the blaze. Barricades blocked the entrance to the store, but the full length of the boardwalk was open to pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
The 7
th Street Surf Shop has two other locations in Ocean City: a second Boardwalk location at 11
th Street, and a stand-alone store at 720 Asbury Ave.
Stay with OCNJ Daily for updates on this story.
