7 Shops Destroyed, 2 Injured in 5-Alarm Blaze
by David Greene
Nearly 200 firefighters spent almost four hours battling a stubborn blaze that has ravaged a row of businesses and members had been attempting to save a popular supermarket on the Fordham Manor – Bedford Park border.
After preliminary reports from the scene, fire officials say the blaze broke out at 5:28 a.m., on Tuesday, April 24, inside the JaveMTS Income Tax, located at 316 East 194 Street, between Marion and Bainbridge avenue’s.
The blaze then spread to stores on either side of the income tax business. Destroyed in the blaze was the Spin City Laundromat, 3 Sisters Pizza, Marion Pharmacy, the Unisex Barbershop, the Hnos Perez Beauty Salon, JaveMTS Income Tax and the Fu Wang Chinese Restaurant.
In the final hour of the blaze, firefighters had evacuated the Food Universe Supermarket and were attempting to defend and eventually saved the structure from the roaring flames.
The fire was eventually brought under control at 9:22 a.m.
One witness who declined to use her name for this article, recalled, “We woke up around 5:30. We live right there, so we saw everything.” The witness produced a video on her cellphone, adding she thought the fire started in the pizza shop.
After 30 minutes firefighters pulled back for an exterior attack, a short time later the roof of the Marion Pharmacy would collapse.
Fire officials reported using 198 firefighters from 44 different units from across the borough.
EMS reportedly treated to victims with minor injuries at the scene, but reported no transports.
On Tuesday, an employee answering the phone at Food Universe stated that their building was saved by the fire, but were busy cleaning up the extensive water damage. The employee added, “We hope to be back open on Friday.”
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