Fire ravages New Jersey boardwalk a year after. Sandy

A stretch of beachside boardwalk in the US state of New Jersey has been ravaged by fire, just one year after Superstorm Sandy tore through the area. The fire started near an ice cream shop on Thursday afternoon and spread quickly through buildings in two towns, authorities said. An estimated 20 businesses were completely destroyed, authorities said. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie called the damage "unthinkable" in areas already struggling to rebuild. The fire started about 14:30 local time (18:30 GMT) and was swept northward by strong winds through the popular tourist towns of Seaside Park and Seaside Heights. Local highways and bridges were temporarily closed as emergency crews worked to stop the blaze. No serious injuries have been reported. Roughly 400 firefighters contained the fire about five hours later by digging a 50ft trench in the sand to stop its progress. Mr Christie said several firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation. He refused to speculate about the cause of the blaze. A local official called the fire "another tremendous wrench" in the recovery of a tourist area already hard-hit by Sandy, which tore through the north- eastern US in October 2012, causing billions of dollars in damage and killing more than 130 people.