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.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.