Brick Lake Park Residents Thank Firefighters For Saving Homes

BRICK, NJ — Amy Wojtowicz says the smell of smoke still lingers in the trees that butt up to her family's back yard in Brick Lake Park.

"To my right I see all the trees that were burned. Parts of my back lawn are burned," Wojtowicz said. "Those flames could have easily traveled to my house."

"Those flames" were the forest fire that consumed 167 acres of trees and brush in Lakewood and Brick on March 14, forcing Wojtowicz's family and neighbors to evacuate from their homes in the small neighborhood on Cedar Bridge Avenue. They left not knowing whether their homes would be there when they returned.

The fire, which authorities have said was intentionally set, destroyed two commercial buildings along Airport Road, and one firefighter was hospitalized after suffering a heart attack while fighting the fire, authorities said. Read more: Ocean County Forest Fire 'Intentionally Set,' Prosecutor Says

It started in Lakewood and spread rapidly, crossing the Garden State Parkway and shutting down travel on the Parkway and Route 70 in the area as strong winds fanned the flames in dry pine debris and carried embers more than a mile.

But it was stopped before it could consume homes in Brick Lake Park, and the families who live there are grateful to the hundreds of firefighters, some paid but most volunteers, who showed up to contain the fire and stayed through the night, ensuring it wouldn't flare up.

"If the firefighters didn't get there when they did we could have lost a lot more," Wojtowicz said.

• Homes Damaged, Firefighter Critical As Fire Burns In Ocean County
• NJ Forest Fire Updates: 167 Acres Burned, 100 Percent Contained

Some lost sheds. Some fences were damaged. Some homes had cosmetic damage from melted siding. Some had water damage. But they were still standing.

Wojtowicz, 22, a recent graduate of Salisbury College in Maryland who is working in graphic design, decided she wanted to put something together to let the firefighters near and far know how grateful the neighborhood is for protecting their homes. So she created a video, with the help of her neighbors, to let the firefighters know how they feel.

The 8-minute, 15-second video includes thank you messages from families throughout the neighborhood, but especially those who live on Francis Road, where the fire came closest to their homes.

"Thank you for saving our house," the Bowen children say about midway through the video, mentioning not only the firefighters but the helicopter that scooped water from Lake Riviera and dropped it on the fire to help bring it under control.

"Without the bravery of these first responders, we could have lost our homes, valuables, pets, and most importantly, our community," the video notes. "Because of them, we were allowed back into our homes that night, with only minimal damage."

"It was overall a very scary day," said Wojtowicz, who had left home with a friend just 15 minutes before her family and the others were evacuated.

"We saw the smoke from the fire," she said. "I didn't process that it could travel that close to my house."

"If the firefighters didn't come when they did and made the decisions they made, we could have lost the neighborhood," Wojtowicz said.

The neighborhood, which has long been close-knit, has been brought even closer together because of the fire experience, she said.

Creating the video to thank the first responders was just a natural response, she said.

"I consider my neighbors like family," Wojtowicz said. "They saved my family."

Click here to get Patch email notifications, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Brick Patch on Facebook.