Because Superstorm Sandy Wasn't Enough...

[Bob Schroeck]

My childhood Mecca, the Seaside boardwalk, http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... -1.1454116]is burning.That story says "six-alarm fire", but it's already at 8 alarms according the news broadcast I was just watching.
Edit:  Here's some http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?secti ... id=9245840]video.  The video implies that Funtown Pier had been rebuilt, but it hadn't; when we were last in Seaside three or so weeks back, it was still closed and littered with debris.  Casino Pier almost a mile to the north has been almost completely rebuilt and was running rides and everything; we were just wondering a couple mornings ago why the difference.
-- Bob
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Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[robkelk]

Looks like a rather nasty blaze. I hope nobody's been hurt - things can be rebuilt (even if they're not quite the same), but people can't.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Bob Schroeck]

Final word was that no one was harmed other than two firefighters and a few residents who needed treatment for smoke inhalation, despite the fire maxing out at 10 alarms.

And they're already talking rebuilding. But some of what was lost can never be replaced -- like a century-old+ carousel that was one of the few parts of Funtown Pier to survive Sandy. That carousel was the merry-go-round for me while growing up, and is what comes to mind for me whenever anyone mentions carousels.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Werehawk]

Never been to the seaside boardwalk which is in my list of places to visit someday.

Just read this USA Today story which explains why and how the fire started.

To summarize.
Fire started in building housing housing Kohr's Frozen Custard and Biscayne Candies due to an electrical malfunction in inaccessible electrical wiring underneath building.
wiring was last changed in the 1970s. Wiring sustained sand and saltwater damage during Hurricane Sandy. Post facto they are recommending that business suffered damage fro Sandy should have their wiring inspected (Am surprised they didn't recommend this earlier).
--Werehawk--
My mom's brief take on upcoming Guatemalan Elections "In last throes of preelection activities. Much loudspeaker vote pleading."

[Bob Schroeck]

Everything on that end of the boardwalk was still in partial disrepair. Unlike Casino Pier to the north, which was almost completely rebuilt when we were there last about 4 weeks ago, Funtown Pier was still a mess, with debris and crud still jammed up under the surviving parts so that you couldn't get under there to look. But I have to agree with you that it should have been recommended months ago.

On a lighter note, a few days ago Fark.com had a link to an article about Governor Christie vowing to rebuild, and had to laugh and applaud the headline the submitter gave it:

...So I built a third boardwalk. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one will stay up, and that's what you're going to get, lad. The strongest boardwalk in Jersey.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.