Authorities say it happened just after 10:10 p.m. at 4 West 183rd Street. It was brought under control just over an hour later.
A 33-year-old man suffered severe burns to his face and body and was rushed to NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi in stable condition.
The victim is a store worker who was pulled out of the burning business by a fellow employee who was not injured.
"When I heard it, I ran down here, and went into the fire to take care of this gentleman, my bosses' nephew," Andrew Franco said.
The FDNY said the initial call came in as an e-bike fire in a deli. Fire marshals responded and were told by witnesses that an object was thrown into the store at the time of the fire.
Investigators were seen leaving the store with what looked like bags of evidence.
"They say they are investigating what happened, looks like two guys came and threw a Molotov cocktail in the grocery, so that spread the fire," said a man named Mohammad, who owns Uptown Fashions next door.
He said he is devastated and doesn't know what is left of his business of 18 years.
"I have no idea right now, waiting to see, I don't know what to do, landlord said they are going to board the whole place, so we don't know what to do," Mohammad said.
Mohammad is left wondering if his neighbors were targeted due to a beef that has now become his problem too.
"I know everybody here, I never have problem here, but things happen with somebody else, end up leading to me," he said.
The cause remains under investigation.
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