Firefighter hurt, stores destroyed by massive fire in Parkchester
PARKCHESTER, Bronx (WABC) -- A firefighter has been injured and multiple stores were destroyed after a massive fire started in the Bronx late Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.
Officials say the flames destroyed a tire shop and flower store on the Cross Bronx Expressway Service Road just before 11 p.m. Tuesday.
Video shows how large the fire was from far away, with its thick plume of black smoke rising above the flames.
Firefighters had the fire under control as of early Wednesday morning, but remained on the scene to continue working.
There were neighbors cleaning up debris early in the morning, but those living and working in the area won't forget the sight of those ginormous flames.
The owner of the flower shop says his business has been a big part of this neighborhood for 35 years. His nephew was at the scene to assess the damage to their beloved store.
"We are just waiting to see when we can go in to check everything out. I would say about 40 to 50 percent of the flower shop was beat up," nephew Omar Reyes said.
Nearby apartments and office spaces were slightly damaged by the fire, but there are not many residences close to the stores that were affected.
Officials say one firefighter suffered a minor injury.
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