A Tent City resident is being flown to the hospital after suffering serious bodily burns in a tent fire, TLS has learned.
The incident occurred shortly after 2 am, when the resident – in a tent pitched at Cedarbridge Avenue near Hurley, caught fire.
Upon finding the victim, police called for a Medevac, due to his extensive injuries.
Sources say the victim’s clothes were on fire.
The helicopter is using the stadium down the road as a landing zone.
The Fire Marshals office was requested to respond.
The victim’s condition is unknown at this time. (TLS-CCP/TLS-CAC/TLS-SY).
Ohel!! Not again!
Why can’t we get fireproof tents?
There we go one by one till they are all burned
Ok let’s get started with everyone’s comment!!
the fire marshall doesnt respond to Tent city … this is a joke !!!
This is beginning to look comical
Few articles the past couple weeks about residents complaining about tent city, a man found dead in his tent, gun shots fired at tent city, now a man severely burned…..what’s next?
Comical??!! I think not. While you obviously do not approve of tent city and the frequent disasters that occcur there, your choice of words were in very poor taste.
A person died cuz of the cold n ppl being cought on fire is not comical its sad there r nice honest ppl that live there n none the less they r ppl not animals I have walked passed there at night n felt safer then walking down some of these streets we r no better then these ppl I pray that this person gets well soon
LIne up the social workers, escort everyone out of there. Give out a bus ticket to the city of your choice, get walking. It’s over. The free bee sack out is over. Fire marshall, do your duty. Order the place condemned and off limits. Bring in the national guard if the police can’t handle it. Send the hapless to the local ER’s until the next line of social workers can help them get shelters or a better direction. Why is it so complicated to end this ? Everyone’s had enough. Even the tent city people have probably had enough. Last year was a warm winter. This year is starting off already a misery. Have you driven by tent city yet? It is outrageous! There are more and more structures being built by the day, even though they were told they were not allowed to. The place is growing in leaps and bounds.
Why doesn’t anyone see that they may be taking their own lives at risk by building their fires in tents, but the residents of the city are now at risk too with 65 mph winds and the flames fanned everywhere, the whole city could burn down.
What kind of Fire Marshall is allowing all this. Stand up and take action! New Mayor, your work is cut out for you. The end is now nearer than you think.
I think that by now it’s clear that these incidents happen a lot more frequently then people think. Just now when they’re in the spotlight they are being exposed. Enough. Shut tent city down before there is bigger tragedy.
Those who claim to feell bad for them and pray for them, why don’t you help shut them down. Tat will help them more!
And as a community/town/county/state/country we still haven’t figured out what to do for these people??? THAT is the problem…
I think tent city just passed brick twp as the safest place too live……tear tent city down, in the last 5 days a death, 2 stabbings, and a man on fire c’mon!!’
Daily dose of horror violence and death.
Whos hands spilled this blood??
I wonder how long it will be before the reverend and/or others bring a lawsuit against the Township for not helping to prevent and correct these incidents? If a thief can sue a store owner for getting hurt while robbing the premises, I see no reason why these “residents” can not sue the Township.
SHUT DOWN TENT CITY Before it’s too late!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok why is this website approving these negative comments. How is this comical?? N the other person wrote til they all get burned. It’s bad enough they live in the woods then they have these horrible tragedies. I’m.praying the burn victim pulls through this.
Comical in a sense that noone is doing anything about correcting this issue
Its very sad what is happening over there. Too easy for the locals to simply say shut it down, but where do they go from there? These are fellow Americicans swallowed up by a destroyed economy. Maybe the local community should work towards figuring out how t ohelp these people get back on there feet instead of chasing them away.
I think it’s time we go against the township for allowing people to live in such unsafe environments. Maybe that side will scare them enough to shut down this insanity occupied by insanities!!
I was recently at a meeting with Meir Lichtenstein and Akerman. The problem is the liberal County Judge. The township has spent thousands already in attorney fees trying to shut the place down.
OK here is the solution to the problem. Everyone who is opposed to tent city… Go to tent city, pick someone up from there. take them home, give them a shower, and food. Train them to work, bring them to work, help find them affordable housing… O WAIT NO SUCH THING… Then when you realize that this state is OVERPRICED bring homeless person back to tent city with an understanding that is why they are there in the first place. Remember drugs are expensive how are they supposed to stay high and warm at the same time…. FIRE!!!
every year at Christmas time they try to shut tent city down, they complain that they are advertising about tent city, but more people find out about it from them trying to shut it down, than anyone saying “hey come live were I do” Ocean county has NO SHELTER, they put people up in a motel, if they qualify for help, before becoming homeless, because you can not get into Emergency housing unless you are on Welfair, you can not get Welfair unless you have a valid address. If you are part of the working poor, or are on unemployment you do not qualify. I myself was on unemployment, with 2 children and I was lucky enough to know a little about the system. My boys and I spent a summer in a tent in a camp ground while I used DYFS to my advantage and sued for emergency housing for my boys and I. I have lived underneath Funtown Pier since then with out my children. The 3-5 year wait list for section 8 housing try again, been on the wait list now for 8 years! Oh and by the way Seaside Heights had 90% of the motels that they put the homeless who did qualify for housing in. If you got into emergency housing you had 12 months to find a place, get your schooling, while participating in the mandatory programs, and if you did it before the 12 months was up for the motel, you got the difference in months towards your apartment, if it met the guidelines. Oh and until last year of the welfair grant you got 65% of it went to pay for the motel/housing, you had to do 10 housing contacts a week, pay for the bus to go to and from appointments, and wait for a stipend check to reimburse you for a whole $6 a day transportation, that took 6-8 weeks to get the first check. Oh and the motels do not provide a phone, so you have to find a way for a landlord to contact you back and pay for the calls to the potential land lords. So take the $140 a month $91 to the motel/housing leaving you just $49 and stretch it to cover all of that. You say get a job while you have the Emergency housing? well here’s some news for you work part time 30-35 hours per week at minim wage and you make to much to qualify for help, so you have to move out of your housing, this is because our welfair system is still going by the poverty level of the 1950’s, there have been no coast of living increases. So lets see you make calls to at least 10 landlords, have a way to get return calls, or keep calling them, pay for your laundry bus to and from the mandatory program, which you have to be at at 8:30 am in lakewood, 2 buses from SSH, stay there until 4:30pm find an apartment cover all non foodstamp needs, find a job, that you can support yourself on and pay rent with withing 12 months, show me you do this and then I will listen to your complaints about those who don’t qualify for that little help, how they should just get over it and move on. I want to know how many of you would be willing to hire someone who has not had a decent shower, or rent to them? I hope and I pray that each and every one of you who has bashed the homeless never have to face what they have endured, because you are not strong enough!
You know that was 2 different Tent Cities..Cedarbridge ave & S Clover st for the STabbing and the fire was at the one behind the Singin on Hurley ave & cedarbridge.
there should be a TENT CITY scoop. JUST SAYIN!!
Most of them were offered places to go and refused..they want to stay there..one guy owned a house and stayed there to avoid paying taxes ..most are on drugs..the truly homeless went elsewhere ..the ones that are there either need to go to rehab or need mental help
Nimbysep, thank you for that very realistic look into what REALLY goes on for these people who others want to call LAZY and FREELOADERS. THis is not a life anyone would choose, there are MANY regular normal people who just had a few tough breaks and Nimbysep showed you how it really is to try to bounce back…it sucks. There’s got to be better help in this country for our citizens…
Tent City should open their own website!!
Hey mike.
As bad as you might feel for them and as much as you may pray for them , it doesn’t negate the fact that what they are doing is illegal.
I ask you, if you don’t have a car can you steal one? If you can’t have a child , can you steal one? If you don’t have food, can you shoplift ? OF COURSE NOT!
So why can the inhabitants of tent city steal and squat on private land, and urinate on our proprty and endanger te welfare f our families. That has nothing to do with not feeling bad for them, but our families safety is our first concern.
It really is a catch 22 situation. If someone earns a bit over the poverty limits, they lose their assistance and it is impossible to live by the gov. income guidelines.
What does that have to do with tent city?
if this is the tent behind Singin Gas near the railroad tracks, this is at least his fourth fire there, getting burned 3 times. rr, tent city does have a website. There is a court order preventing them from being evicted for now.
So sad. “walk in someones shoes” Hope the rest of you are all safe and warm with plenty of food to eat. Give your family a hug tonight, and be thankful for what you have. Happy New Year!
Fires that close to the gas station cant be safe…i saw the CIU truck there this morning…it was very close in proximity!
This is misleading news, the fire was in the tent of a man named Willie who live behind a Lakewood gas station. He has had four serious fires this year alone and has no connection to the “Tent City” in Lakewood. Does go to show though, the town cannot help one man who seriously needs the assistance how can the town/county expect to help the many homeless in Tent City?
our politicians & courts are failing us.
we need town hall meeting that is posted in advance on the scoop & all media outlets.
the previous one was publicized for the general populous AFTER the fact
In order to obtain housing assistance from ocean county board of social services one must be homeless through no fault of ones one (you must prove that you have a housing situation which is beyond your control or that you lost previously affordable housing through no fault of your own). People must engage in work activities–work search, community work experience programs, job training, ged etc… Unfortunately these programs are badly managed by Ocean County PIC (on behalf of ocean county board of social services). Participants are made to do too many hours of one and not enough of the other. PIC counselors are unprofessional and deceptive in the dealings with the unemployed.
Before you launch into tirades about who is responsible to shut it down, or a “do your job” comment, why don’t you get educated about the entire situation including the back ground the lawsuits, the County judges order, and litigation in progress. There is a ruling that stands from a County judge that gave them the right to stay! Quit spouting off at the lip if you are under-educated about the entirety of the situation!! I just hope this person recovers from their injuries, and that it doesn’t happen to anyone else this winter!
Ya think the fire marshal had the inspection dept come down and put a red sticker on the tent??
Where are our elected officials??
They held a meeting and we got stonewalled. If it is a judge that is blocking their removal, lets have a hearing and have everyone show up.
Many nasty comments, these people need our prayers not horrible remarks. The nasty comment people should instead pray and fight for a shelter to be constructed for the homeless.
The primary goal of the employees of Ocean County Board of Social Services Special Response Division appears to be self preservation–deny housing assistance to as many applicants as possible in order to keep their jobs! T
The temperature could drop into the low teens and even into the single digits very soon. It will be impossible to survive outside with this kind of weather pattern. Living outdoors will not be an option then. Start making plans to move out to warmer climates or somewhere sheltered indoors. Soon it won’t be a choice to live there for free. It will be a death warrant.
Preacher, move them on, move them out and save their lives if you want to help them. Don’t disable them any longer.
Judge: Your decision has backfired and you’ve made it worse for the homeless. Use your powers to order everyone out to a warm place somewhere else out of the woods.
First and foremost, its Marshal, not Marshall, second, there is nothing in the international fire code, or nj fire code concerning tents of a residential nature. There is no way to make a tent with a wood burning appliance safe. Third, the fire marshal’s do respond to calls, and complaints in the area known as tent city, there is nothing within their power that can be done. It should be known that the squatters that were on county owned property were removed, in part by the fire marshals, this is township owned land, so put the blame in the proper place. All emergency service officials feel your fustration, and wish there was more that can be done, its in the courts hands. Again put the blame where it belongs, not on any emergency service officials. As an aside, all emergency officials, keep doing the best you can with a difficult situation.
WOW!!!!! Now tent city can start making some cash,,,
Let people advertise in there city…
It’s all over the media!!
Use big signs/posters and thay can make millions!
Then they can get housing!!!!!!
————
Realistic;
I think they should help these people out… Not just let everything fade in to everyday life. We know these people need help. The mayor and city knows these people need help. So all whats left is. START MOVING. And go and help them. If you do it others will follow. And when others follow the city will follow and say “hey this is a good idea”
Maybe that’s the only to put yourself in saftey and theres….
Then you will be able to live peacefully.
Sincerly,
Someone who belives in this.
First I would like to express my sympathy for the burn victim. Our prayers are with you and we hope it never happens again to anyone.
Second , I would like to propose a course of action. I propose that if the tent city is as of now a de facto homeless shelter, then let us control it as such. The tent city should be fenced in . Private security should patrol the perimeter with one controlled entrance/exit.
Everyone who enters is searched for weapons and illegal substances.
In the morning everyone is made to leave (as is done in many homeless shelters).
Pretty soon most homeless residents will accept offers to be moved indoors even if it is in a less than ideal setting (ie rural/urban).
Some people will persist in obstructing any decent solution . It serves their interest for money/donations/publicity/relevance.
Nevertheless we must impose controls, and reach out to the tent city resident directly to reach a resolution that is fair and equitable to the homeless and to the neighbors and resident in Lakewood.
Dear steve langert why are u so quiet about all of this but anyways why dont you guys put up a barbed wire fence on the property behind the gas station so these people dont keep coming back and rebuilding.
Every day… Every day another person burnt there. How many people are left in tent city?
hi all it has come to my attention that there are many many more of these small “tent” cities behind the tracks around rt 88area.that everyone fails to mention all these illegal dwellings need to be shut down before they spread to my front lawn
FIX YOUR HEADING SCOOP! THIS FIRE DID NOT HAPPEN IN TENT CITY! The article clearly says by Hurley Avenue!! So now if there’s a fire off Brook Road, they’ll say its connected to Tent City as well?
Hey anonymous.
Come live near here than lets see if you continue your support for them. The liberal judge is part of the problem. The liberal gov. Is part of the problem. The liberal president is part of the problem.
Pray for them . Good. But let them live without endangering us.
cant shut it down just because of the argument that its unsafe living conditions and unsanitary- just look at the rentals the slumlords rent out! more than half of those houses being rented out for a pretty penny are disgusting and need to be torn down but no one complains about that. hmm..
One more thing anonymous.
From the tone of your comments I would gather that you would rather tent city stay and everyone else leave. If you really care, then care for every one. Don’t pick and choose who to care for and who not to.
Lakewood township close tent city already
stop this nonsense !!!!!!!!!!!
relax #48 – its down the street a couple blocks from tent city – get the homeless off of Cedar Bridge so that the residents can live in their PAID FOR homes and not feel uncomfortable to let their kids and wives out!
Why doesn’t the township put together some money for a proper shelter? Why does tent city get carte blanche to bypass building codes if they want official, permanent residence in the woods? If they are merely saying they want to live in a tent, why are they not in a public camping zone of a park? How can people make their residence on public-owned land? The township is responsible to provide a viable solution for these unfortunate people, but those living there seem to be happy to stay there. Something doesn’t add up.
it is time to sue this Judge for judicial negligance
relax #48
Nothing will happen….
The fact is wherever TENT CITY is fix it!!!!!!
Enough with this “Tent City makes me scared to let my kids and wife out” nonsense. I see 9 year olds pushing strollers down Route 9 everyday and no one has a problem with that. I see brand new houses being built in the area of East 4th Street- a haven for gang members and drug dealers- and no one has a problem walking around there. And please stop with the “toxic fumes” argument. Of all the silly things to complain about in life, a little bit of wood smoke isnt going to kill you
It must have taken a while for that manivac to come. I mean -police got the call at around 2am as the article suggests and when looking at the picture of that manivac coming in for a landing it doesn’t seem likes its quite 2am. But there again I am not always up at 2am so how would I know what it really looks like at that time…..
This is where my tax dollars are going? ughhh
This sounds like it’s all being done on purpose, things like this never happened before in tent city. So much DRAMA going on over there. Maybe they should have a police watch over there, just to make sure noone is trying to commit suicide or do anything harmful to themselves.
Sorry #58 was for #50
its not actually tent city……..its another homeless man who lives by himself next to Singin on the train tracks
for each of you saying to move to a regulated camp ground, show me one that is open year round. for those of you proposing fencing and patrols searches and tent city being allowed to stay as an “official homeless shelter” and run it the same way then you will put in the necessary plumbing and heating cooking facilities for a homeless shelter? I am not saying that tent city, which for any of you who think this is the only one you are nuts, there are tent villages in Toms River, there were several people living on/under the boardwalk in Seaside Heights, if you look at the pictures of Funtown pier, specifically what is left of Flashback arcade you will see my former home! For those of you who think that this is a choice I dare you to spend 1 week living in one of the shelters you want these people to be shuttled off too!
The Atlantic City shelter which is were Social Services send the homeless is already over crowded, and is done on a first come first serve basis. The mentally ill, you want to send them to the homes for mentally ill? well first you have to have an income, medicaid and lets see you live on the food they provide! A friend of mine weighed close to 190 when he was ‘forced’ to go to a “mental Health facility” He weighed less than 100lbs when he died less than a year later, every time I went to see him he had a stale cheese sandwich for his lunch, and told me it was the best meal of the day. To fix the problem the whole system needs to be revamped. Yes I believe in drug testing for those receiving assistance, yes I think that the programs we have now are way to outdated to work, no i don’t believe in handouts forever, but I do believe in REAL HELPING HANDS. Welfair has not been revamped since before I was born, and I am almost 50, the cash amounts need to reflect the poverty level now, not the 1940-50’s that it does now. working at minimum wage part time you make to much for assistance, to little to live. Every town is supposed to have affordable housing. Look for a home for rent in your neighbor hood that can be afforded on minimum wage, can’t find it can you? Remember as you bash these people “But for the Grace of GOD there go I”
Vodka and Fire don’t Mix.
Ha-lare-ious
THERE IS NO POINT IN ARG-U-ING
the fact is mute. Dangerous people do dangerous things.
Answer:
Give them a place to be a normal human.
Question #2:
Why are people living there?
For fame…to be on the media?
NO. They don’t have a job; No money no live. PERIOD.
IDEA: Go with your car. Find a guy who wishes to work. Drive him to a work place. Let him work.
WORK = MONEY = HOME – BECOME A NORMAL HUMAN BEING
AGREE? Yes answer me!!!!
Great idea!
Stop complaining. Start doing!!!!!!!!!
Hey anonymous.
STOP spewing your hate!
The guy doesn’t live in tent city off cedarbridge, he doesn’t even live in Mexican tent city- there IS more than one but only one gets free GARBAGE PICKUP. He’s just a guy who lives in a tent in the woods, alone. Also, he’s set himself on fire more than once.
Get it right
CANT WE ALL JUST GET ALONG….
#59 — Hey! u come deal with the smoke EVERY night- THEY burn Garbage- and Who-Knows-what-else—-not just wood! otherwise it wouldn’t smell so putrid. If our windows are open, it sets off Smoke detectors!! COME live next door to tent city before you open your mouth
o.k. this is really getting out of hand. People are in danger staying at tent city & it also poses a threat to people living within close proximity of tent city. It is time to take a stand and get down to business and rectify this situation once and for all!!
Law suit! The city is 100% liable for any incident that happens there. Fire Marshal, 100% liable, code / zoning official, 100% liable.
The Rhode Island nightclub fire is the example that sets the case law showing the courts that town officials can be publicly, and personally held liable. Anyone in town can file the suit, doesn’t have to be the victim. Reason is, if a suit is filed, the penalty would be passed to tax payer. So all tax payers in town can go after officials for allowing the city to be exposed to such liabilities.
The township needs to remove all trees and shrubs from tent city to bring transparency to what is going on there.
everyone thinks they know everything. I know someone that went there and offered a couple a fully furnished trailer free and clear not having to pay for a think in a good trailer park. That is a home for FREE and they declined it saying they promised to stay in tent city to make a point. Is that normal? I wish someone offered me a place for free. They don’t belong there they own cars and other things but can’t find a job or place to live? There are jobs available if you want it. Maybe the problem is you can’t be on drugs and or can’t be a criminal if you want a job. Don’t feel so bad they have been offered help.