Fire guts 4 New Jersey homes, damages 3 others; 2 injured

NEPTUNE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) - Authorities are trying to determine what caused a fast-moving fire that gutted four homes and damaged three other structures in a historic New Jersey shore community.

Police Capt. Michael McGhee says flames broke out just after 5 a.m. Friday in a vacant hotel in the Ocean Grove section of Neptune Township, where homes are close together.

Flames and embers spread to the upper floors of the La Pierre condominium, across from Asbury Park. Two other structures were also damaged.

McGhee says everyone is accounted for and it could have been worse. Two firefighters had minor injuries.

The Red Cross is helping displaced residents.

Ocean Grove was formed as a religious community in 1869. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its extensive collection of authentic Victorian architecture.