A fire that started near a custard shop on the Seaside Park boardwalk has destroyed much of the progress made on a section that was torn up by Hurricane Sandy, and several firefighters and residents have been treated for smoke inhalation.

The fire is believed to have started in Kohr’s custard shop and spread several blocks down the boardwalk before firefighters could remove sections of wood to create a fire line.

“It’s raging,” said witness Michael Loundy. “It is absolutely raging. The wind is blowing something fierce, making it very difficult for firefighters to fight.”

Residents are afraid that after the damage done by Sandy, the fire will only add months of rebuilding time to the efforts of the community.

“I’m praying the firefighters can get this under control as soon as possible,” resident Janet Meisner said. “We had to deal with Sandy last year and now this happens. We can’t catch a break.”

Seaside Heights–which is where “Jersey Shore” was filmed for several seasons–is just blocks away from the area and has already seen the fire begin to spread into the neighborhood. We will update this article with more information as it becomes available.

Image: Thinkstock