The blaze broke out in the restaurant on Flatbush Avenue near Quentin Road in Marine Park just before 6:30 a.m. and quickly spread to the neighboring medical office.
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Firefighters were on the roof of the building trying to get the flames under control, and fortunately, they were able to keep it from spreading to apartment buildings on either side.
Three firefighters suffered minor injuries. Two businesses were completely destroyed.
"Our tactics are, if we aren't being successful, then we become the people who are in danger at that point," FDNY Assistant Fire Chief Richard Howe said. "So the incident commander at the scene made the determination to go from an interior attack to an exterior attack due to the safety of the firefighters, due to the volume and construction of the building."
No other damage was reported, and no residents were displaced. But it was still a terrifying experience for many.
"It was horrible," area resident Carolyn McSwiggan said. "The fire was extinguished, and then it lightened up again. It just kept going. It was non-stop."
The FDNY asked Con Edison to de-energize the area surrounding the fire, leaving nearly 400 customers without power.
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It is not yet known when the power will be restored.
Flatbush Avenue was closed between Quentin Road and Avenue P, while East 45th Street was closed between Flatbush Avenue and Avenue N.
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