April 23, 2025 • 8 mins
Pete Curatolo speaks with Mendte in the Morning about the wildfires spreading across Ocean County, New Jersey and the latest on relief efforts.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Our top story all morning, and what we've been talking
about is a huge wildfire in Ocean County, New Jersey
that shut down the Parkway for a while at shut
out shut down Route nine. It caused evacuations. It's still burning.
But on the line with us is Mayor Pete Kirotolo,
who is the Lacey County, New Jersey mayor and Mayor
(00:22):
I appreciate so much your time. I know you've got
a lot going on. Thanks for taking a couple of
minutes to talk to us.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Thanks for reaching out and going through media outlets like
yours help us to inform our residents.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
So thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Well let's do that now, because there's been some confusion
about the evacuation order. There was a report that three
thousand people were told they could go back to their homes.
Is that not true or is it true?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
So start with yesterday, I got a text about the fire,
and I you know, we had an immediate response. So
what we had determined initially was to set up a
shelter at fifteen East Lacy Road at the Charles Smith
Memorial Building commonly referred to as Community Hall. But then
(01:18):
about two hours into that effort, because pheasant run which
is of high concern. It's in the south part of
our town. It's the community Pheasant Run, It's a senior community.
They had been evacuated to us, to our identified shelter.
The issue was we had no power. Knowing the needs
of a shelter, working at County Health and having worked
(01:41):
at our shelter with Sandy years ago, we just needed
to make a change. But for the county, so many
other mayors reaching out to meet Deputy.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Mayor Miller and Lakewood Mayor.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Backy in Berkeley, our neighbors and teared fire response like
I have never seen. And I'm twelve years on the committee.
There are too many thank you in this forum to
go around, but I'm going to be writing a letter
to each person individually and going to our commissioner meeting
as well. But our Border County Commissioners has been great.
(02:16):
A sheriff, Mike Masterinardi helped us transition people from our
shelter to the shelter at Manchester High School where they
did have cots and where they did have nurses, and
so we got some of these seniors on a bus,
literally a school bus. We helped them on a school bus.
Several pets and we transitioned them over there and they're
there now. So yeah, it's been quite a day.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
I get it. But was there evacuation order or wasn't there?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
And as it there was, there was, yes, initially yesterday
around the three o'clock hour, and don't quote me, you know,
to the to the foot of the cross, it was voluntary.
It became mandatory shortly thereafter. These are seniors, they have
specific needs. It could be dialysis, they could be infirm.
So then that was a mandatory evacuation order issued and
(03:07):
then those folks started to transition into our shelter in East.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Lacey Road shortly thereafter.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
I think I got out of there around ten ten
thirty last night. We loaded everybody up as best we could,
and we did. We got it done. And now currently
as we're speaking this morning, there at Manchester High School,
which does not have loss of power.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
So they are still evacuated from the Senior Center. Of
the people in their homes, they're still in their homes.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
No, I don't know how many are out of their homes,
but what I can tell you is there was a
mandatory evacuation order. We received people at our center. We
had no power. We felt that it was not a
situation that was tenable. We worked with our county partners
(03:54):
fixed it. Everyone worked good in Unison and now those
folks are in Manchester High School GYM.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Okay, I think we cleared that up. Let's get right
to the fire. What's the latest. What are you hearing?
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yeah, the latest is we're working on containment efforts. Our
next update will be at eleven a m. And I
think that's going to take place down in Stafford Township.
As you know, when an incident like this comes online,
we go through the ICMS and that's the incident Command
Management structure. So the mayor is no longer the top
link in the chain. It's our chief of police as
(04:26):
the OEM Office of Emergency Management Coordinator, so I've been
in contact with him. I do not know how many
departments are currently fighting. The fire started at the bottom
the southern part of our town, in the ware Town border,
so when I'm speaking specifically, it may have started south
of our town, but it slowly started to creep up
(04:49):
to the north where we felt there had to be
an evacuation order up Broute nine. Both sides of the
parkway have been burned we are a set saying the
most important thing now is power. So I have a
liaison from JCP and L who not only just texted me,
but he called me.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
So it's a three tiered process.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Power is key because that's how you know people are
going to be able to turn their sprinklers on, access
their homes, medical equipment, et cetera. So because they can't
there's restricted airspace, JCP and L is going to appropriately
fly drones and do inspections on.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Foot to their infrastructure.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
They can't just throw power back on if lines are burned.
It's an increase in a safety situation. Once their inspections
are completed, which should happen by probably noon today, the
second step is they're going to determine exactly what can
be brought back online. And the third step is what
the third step always is, and these situations clear it
(05:50):
through the Office of Emergency Management. That's our local OEM,
state OEM, JCP and L. There's no staplelice, there is
no shortage of folks down at that incident Command Center
and waretown right now making those final decisions.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Do we know at this point if any homes any
structures were either destroyed or burned in the fire.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Yes, I do, and I want to tell you with certainty,
and I'm glad you brought that up. We have had
zero homes destroyed in the fire. I don't know about
light damage. We have had no complete involvements, zero homes
destroyed in the fire. The fire did reach the southern
point of our town Challenger Way, that is the Lacey
(06:33):
Township Industrial Park.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
There are no structures.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
That people live in, but they are a vital part
of our community and our businesses. We had one fully
involved structure and as I understand that, we lost one
business and some of the pictures we were seeing on
different social media were frankly hellish. But for our surrounding
fire departments, we make sure as the town administration that
(06:58):
we have those moas in place, and that's a memorandum
of agreement MoU AT memorandum of understanding so that our
departments will help each other. If Berkeley has an issue,
we're going to drive north. If Wheretown has an issue,
we're going to drive south to help help them. But everyone,
including the county, the county administrator, and our border commissioners,
has been unbelievable. Congressman Chris Smith called me. So many
(07:24):
mayors have offered. I got a text last night of
a video. I said, what is this And it was
the deputy mayor of Liquid sending just emergency vehicle after
emergency vehicle down the parkway towards us. And it was
all done according to OEM and mutual aid calls, so
it wasn't just he and I discussing it. Yeah, he
(07:47):
got that call, he sent it down.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
I get it. Great job, Mayor, great job. I know
that's a hellish situation and you were in charge of
running things there and you did a wonderful job. And
God blessed those firefighters that saved all of those homes.
Thank you for spending some time with us this morning.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
I just want to, you know, say one thing and closing,
I know time is short. Its certainly there's no me
in it. It's it was my colleagues all around us,
and definitely police fire Ems, Lenoca, Harbord Ems, Lacy Ems
has been there helping get some of these seniors who
had some mobility issues in our shelter, get them out
(08:25):
to a safer place in Manchester Township, about a thirty
five minute drive away. I'm grateful, I'm one person at
a twenty nine thousand here, our residents were unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Yeah, it's even better.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
I got it. You did a nice job too, but
I agree that there was a whole lot of people involved.
Thank you so much, Mary, I appreciate your time.
Our top story all morning, and what we've been talking
about is a huge wildfire in Ocean County, New Jersey
that shut down the Parkway for a while at shut
out shut down Route nine. It caused evacuations. It's still burning.
But on the line with us is Mayor Pete Kirotolo,
who is the Lacey County, New Jersey mayor and Mayor
(00:22):
I appreciate so much your time. I know you've got
a lot going on. Thanks for taking a couple of
minutes to talk to us.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Thanks for reaching out and going through media outlets like
yours help us to inform our residents.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
So thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Well let's do that now, because there's been some confusion
about the evacuation order. There was a report that three
thousand people were told they could go back to their homes.
Is that not true or is it true?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
So start with yesterday, I got a text about the fire,
and I you know, we had an immediate response. So
what we had determined initially was to set up a
shelter at fifteen East Lacy Road at the Charles Smith
Memorial Building commonly referred to as Community Hall. But then
(01:18):
about two hours into that effort, because pheasant run which
is of high concern. It's in the south part of
our town. It's the community Pheasant Run, It's a senior community.
They had been evacuated to us, to our identified shelter.
The issue was we had no power. Knowing the needs
of a shelter, working at County Health and having worked
(01:41):
at our shelter with Sandy years ago, we just needed
to make a change. But for the county, so many
other mayors reaching out to meet Deputy.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Mayor Miller and Lakewood Mayor.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Backy in Berkeley, our neighbors and teared fire response like
I have never seen. And I'm twelve years on the committee.
There are too many thank you in this forum to
go around, but I'm going to be writing a letter
to each person individually and going to our commissioner meeting
as well. But our Border County Commissioners has been great.
(02:16):
A sheriff, Mike Masterinardi helped us transition people from our
shelter to the shelter at Manchester High School where they
did have cots and where they did have nurses, and
so we got some of these seniors on a bus,
literally a school bus. We helped them on a school bus.
Several pets and we transitioned them over there and they're
there now. So yeah, it's been quite a day.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
I get it. But was there evacuation order or wasn't there?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
And as it there was, there was, yes, initially yesterday
around the three o'clock hour, and don't quote me, you know,
to the to the foot of the cross, it was voluntary.
It became mandatory shortly thereafter. These are seniors, they have
specific needs. It could be dialysis, they could be infirm.
So then that was a mandatory evacuation order issued and
(03:07):
then those folks started to transition into our shelter in East.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
Lacey Road shortly thereafter.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
I think I got out of there around ten ten
thirty last night. We loaded everybody up as best we could,
and we did. We got it done. And now currently
as we're speaking this morning, there at Manchester High School,
which does not have loss of power.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
So they are still evacuated from the Senior Center. Of
the people in their homes, they're still in their homes.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
No, I don't know how many are out of their homes,
but what I can tell you is there was a
mandatory evacuation order. We received people at our center. We
had no power. We felt that it was not a
situation that was tenable. We worked with our county partners
(03:54):
fixed it. Everyone worked good in Unison and now those
folks are in Manchester High School GYM.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Okay, I think we cleared that up. Let's get right
to the fire. What's the latest. What are you hearing?
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yeah, the latest is we're working on containment efforts. Our
next update will be at eleven a m. And I
think that's going to take place down in Stafford Township.
As you know, when an incident like this comes online,
we go through the ICMS and that's the incident Command
Management structure. So the mayor is no longer the top
link in the chain. It's our chief of police as
(04:26):
the OEM Office of Emergency Management Coordinator, so I've been
in contact with him. I do not know how many
departments are currently fighting. The fire started at the bottom
the southern part of our town, in the ware Town border,
so when I'm speaking specifically, it may have started south
of our town, but it slowly started to creep up
(04:49):
to the north where we felt there had to be
an evacuation order up Broute nine. Both sides of the
parkway have been burned we are a set saying the
most important thing now is power. So I have a
liaison from JCP and L who not only just texted me,
but he called me.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
So it's a three tiered process.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Power is key because that's how you know people are
going to be able to turn their sprinklers on, access
their homes, medical equipment, et cetera. So because they can't
there's restricted airspace, JCP and L is going to appropriately
fly drones and do inspections on.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Foot to their infrastructure.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
They can't just throw power back on if lines are burned.
It's an increase in a safety situation. Once their inspections
are completed, which should happen by probably noon today, the
second step is they're going to determine exactly what can
be brought back online. And the third step is what
the third step always is, and these situations clear it
(05:50):
through the Office of Emergency Management. That's our local OEM,
state OEM, JCP and L. There's no staplelice, there is
no shortage of folks down at that incident Command Center
and waretown right now making those final decisions.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Do we know at this point if any homes any
structures were either destroyed or burned in the fire.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Yes, I do, and I want to tell you with certainty,
and I'm glad you brought that up. We have had
zero homes destroyed in the fire. I don't know about
light damage. We have had no complete involvements, zero homes
destroyed in the fire. The fire did reach the southern
point of our town Challenger Way, that is the Lacey
(06:33):
Township Industrial Park.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
There are no structures.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
That people live in, but they are a vital part
of our community and our businesses. We had one fully
involved structure and as I understand that, we lost one
business and some of the pictures we were seeing on
different social media were frankly hellish. But for our surrounding
fire departments, we make sure as the town administration that
(06:58):
we have those moas in place, and that's a memorandum
of agreement MoU AT memorandum of understanding so that our
departments will help each other. If Berkeley has an issue,
we're going to drive north. If Wheretown has an issue,
we're going to drive south to help help them. But everyone,
including the county, the county administrator, and our border commissioners,
has been unbelievable. Congressman Chris Smith called me. So many
(07:24):
mayors have offered. I got a text last night of
a video. I said, what is this And it was
the deputy mayor of Liquid sending just emergency vehicle after
emergency vehicle down the parkway towards us. And it was
all done according to OEM and mutual aid calls, so
it wasn't just he and I discussing it. Yeah, he
(07:47):
got that call, he sent it down.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
I get it. Great job, Mayor, great job. I know
that's a hellish situation and you were in charge of
running things there and you did a wonderful job. And
God blessed those firefighters that saved all of those homes.
Thank you for spending some time with us this morning.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
I just want to, you know, say one thing and closing,
I know time is short. Its certainly there's no me
in it. It's it was my colleagues all around us,
and definitely police fire Ems, Lenoca, Harbord Ems, Lacy Ems
has been there helping get some of these seniors who
had some mobility issues in our shelter, get them out
(08:25):
to a safer place in Manchester Township, about a thirty
five minute drive away. I'm grateful, I'm one person at
a twenty nine thousand here, our residents were unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Yeah, it's even better.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
I got it. You did a nice job too, but
I agree that there was a whole lot of people involved.
Thank you so much, Mary, I appreciate your time.
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