The fire broke out inside Cove Plumbing Supply Co. on Morris Avenue in Glen Cove just after 10 p.m.
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Authorities say one issue hampering the firefighting effort was the propane and acetylene tanks inside the plumbing business, both of which are highly flammable.
Video showed the tanks exploding inside the warehouse, producing giant bright orange flames that could be seen shooting from the roof 30 feet into the sky.
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Business owner Lewis Okin said he has been there for 40 years and has 10 employees.
"It's devastating, it's really very hard, very difficult," he said. "The hardest part is putting it back together again, starting up again, starting from scratch."
He added that he didn't know how the fire might have started.
"I've been in the fire service 42 years, so I've seen my fair share of it," Glen Cove Fire Chief Robert Marino said. "It's always a difficult task to get a fire under control of this magnitude. As long as nobody got hurt and everyone goes home safe, that's the bottom line."
While there is extensive damage to the building, there were no injuries.
Okin said they do have insurance, and they plan on rebuilding. The 78-year-old owner said that he will make arrangements to get his workers other plumbing jobs and hopes to rebuild as soon as possible.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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