In tough economic times during the Coronavirus pandemic, the recovery is now a little tougher for an Ocean County restaurant.

A fire roared through ALBA's Restaurant/Tipperary Pub early Friday morning causing severe damage to the building located in the Ridgeway section of Manchester Township.

Manchester Police said officers had actually responded to an interior motion burglar alarm at the restaurant around 7:22 am only to find smoke coming out from the roof and eves of the building.

Firefighters from Manchester, Ridgeway, Whiting, Lakehurst, Pleasant Plains, and Toms River Volunteer Fire Departments as well as from the Joint Base Fire Department responded to put out the fire.

EMTs from the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Medical Services were also on scene along with police officers from the Lakehurst Police Department.

Alba’s sustained heavy fire, smoke, and water damage.

The exact cause and origin of the fire is being investigated by Manchester Police Detective Joseph Fastige of the Investigations Bureau with the assistance of members of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office.

ALBA's posted a message on Facebook that everyone is safe and they are in the process of planning a rebuild to the pub.

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