WARETOWN-At approximately 11 pm the Waretown Fire Company was dispatched to a structure fire a Buy Rite Liquor Store on Rt.9.

Firefighters arrived to find a large exterior fire that had extended into the building’s attic.

Firefighters made an aggressive interior fire attack and were met with extremely heavy fire and heat on the second floor of the building.

“Ladder trucks were set up and the interior crews temporarily exited the building while master streams from the ladders knocked back some of the fire and heat,” the Waretown Fire Department said. “Interior crews then re-entered the second floor again being met with high heat and fire. They pulled the interior ceilings and were able to suppress the fire without incident.”

Liquor store damaged by fire overnight

Due to the building’s area of 9,000 square feet, with a high fire load,and the amount of manpower needed to fight a large fire, surrounding Fire Departments from Forked River, Barnegat, Stafford, Pinewald Pioneer and Lanoka Harbor were on scene assisting.

Liquor store damaged by fire overnight Additionally, two FAST Teams from Bayville and Toms River responded. FAST Teams are dedicated teams that are responsible for rescuing other firefighters in the event of emergency. They are not used to fight the actual fire and are dedicated to fire fighter rescue. Local protocol dictates that these teams cannot be from the town that the fire takes place in.

Shore News Network Staff Report Latest posts

Shore News Network Staff Report is the official newsroom byline used by Shore News Network when a story is produced through the collaborative work of multiple members of the editorial team rather than a single reporter.

This newsroom account is reserved for articles that involve contributions from multiple journalists, editors, photographers, researchers, or news desk staff. It is also used for developing stories that are updated as new verified information becomes available, as well as for community announcements, weather coverage, public safety alerts, election results, and other newsroom-produced content.

Every article published under the Shore News Network Staff Report byline is reviewed and edited in accordance with the organization's editorial standards for accuracy, fairness, attribution, and transparency. Information is verified through official government agencies, court records, law enforcement, public documents, direct reporting, interviews, and other reliable primary and secondary sources before publication whenever possible.

The Staff Report account does not use artificial intelligence to independently generate news or publish unverified information. AI-assisted tools may occasionally be used for editorial support tasks such as transcription, formatting, grammar review, or workflow efficiency, but all published content is subject to human editorial oversight and approval by Shore News Network's newsroom staff.

As an independently owned digital news organization, Shore News Network is committed to original reporting, public safety journalism, government accountability, local community coverage, and breaking news throughout New Jersey and surrounding regions. Stories published under the Staff Report byline reflect the collective experience and editorial judgment of the Shore News Network newsroom.

Readers who have corrections, additional information, or news tips related to a Staff Report article are encouraged to contact the newsroom at news@shorenewsnetwork.com. Shore News Network welcomes factual corrections and updates as part of its commitment to accurate, transparent journalism.