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Dec. 21-27, 2018 Your Neighborhood — Your News®
ALSO COVERING ELMHURST, JACKSON HEIGHTS, LONG ISLAND CITY, MASPETH, MIDDLE VILLAGE, REGO PARK, SUNNYSIDE
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Sunnyside rallies together after fi re
Five-alarm blaze destroyed row of neighborhood shops on Queens Boulevard
Firefighters use a tower ladder to pour water onto hot spots at the site of a five-alarm blaze in Sunnyside. Photo by Mark Hallum
BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELLDOMENECH
The Sunnyside community
came together in a time of
need Monday after 12 people,
including seven firefighters,
were injured Dec. 13 as
flames ripped through a row
of stores on Queens Boulevard
in Sunnyside, destroying
six businesses, according
to the FDNY.
Fire Department sources
said the five-alarm inferno
broke out Dec. 13 at about
2:14 a.m. inside the New York
Style Eats restaurant located
at 45-02 Queens Blvd., near
45th Street.
The flames rapidly spread
to several adjacent businesses.
Firefighters arrived on
the scene within four minutes
of a 911 call regarding
the fire, according to Assistant
Chief Anthony DeVita.
The FDNY determined that
six businesses along Queens
Boulevard were affected
by the blaze; firefighters
worked to prevent the flames
from spreading to adjoining
residential and commercial
structures on 46th Street,
DeVita said during a press
conference at the scene.
The situation took a more
frightening turn when a
number of firefighters got
caught in a violent backdraft
— a blast of flames and
heavy smoke.
DeVita said that the backdraft
is believed to have
triggered a partial collapse
within 45-02 Queens Blvd.,
allowing the flames to
spread further through the
adjoining businesses.
The FDNY reported that
seven firefighters and five
civilians were hospitalized
for injuries sustained in the
blaze, according to WABCTV.
One of the civilians was
reported to be in serious
condition.
Firefighters worked for
nearly six hours to finally
bring the blaze under control,
at about 7:57 a.m.
The cause of the fire is
under investigation.
Along with New York
Style Eats, the damaged businesses
include Sidetracks
Restaurant, one of the neighborhood’s
most popular eateries,
Zen Yai Noodles & Coffee,
The Romantic Depot and
The UPS Store.
City Councilman Jimmy
Van Bramer, who represents
the area, tweeted out an image
of the charred buildings
and expressed heartbreak
over the incident.
“I’m on site of this devastating
fire on Queens
Boulevard in #Sunnyside,”
Van Bramer said. “So many
great businesses destroyed.
Grateful that there was no
loss of life. The @FDNY are
amazing. Their bravery unparalleled.
We will help all
to rebuild.”
The first of four fund-raisers
raised $36,000 for the victims
of last week’s five-alarm
fire that gutted a row of stores
on Queens Boulevard between
45th and 46th Street.
“It’s beautiful, the community
stuck together,” said
Larry Stroumbos, co-owner
of New York Style Eats, one
of the businesses that the
fire consumed.
According to President
of Sunnyside Chamber of
Commerce Melissa Orlando,
$125,113.75 has been raised
in total for the relief fund.
This includes proceeds
from ticket sales to Monday
night’s fund-raiser, donations
made via a GoFundMe
campaign, vendor donations
and the result of collections
at Sunnyside businesses.
Everyone in attendance
was in good cheer, including
those who had lost almost
everything to the fire.
“It’s been a hard two
weeks before Christmas,”
said Susan Parker, a employee
of New York Style Eats,
who was touched by the
turnout. “It’s impressive.”
Robert Pozarycki contributed
to this report
Vol. 6, No. 51 56 total pages
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