Fire on Easter damages businesses, apartments in Valley Stream
VALLEY STREAM, Long Island (WABC) -- A row of apartments and businesses was destroyed after a fire broke out in Valley Stream on Easter Sunday.
Two residents and a firefighter are recovering from minor injuries after the fire started on the first floor, inside a barbershop.
The fire started Sunday around 5:30 p.m.
"Everything was a complete total loss," said the barbershop owner's wife Jesenia Garcia.
She says the shop was open Sunday until around 2 p.m.
She says two cleaning workers saw the flames, and quickly escaped before calling for help.
"I was in complete shock to find it the way that I did," Garcia said. "I didn't expect absolutely nothing like this."
The barbershop was a staple in the Valley Stream community. Customers say their barber that owns the shop called Mr. D's started cutting hair out of his garage decades ago, before eventually continuing his popular business in town, where he has been for about 15 years.
The barbershop and a neighboring hair salon had fire damage and a furniture upholstery store and pizza shop had heavy smoke damage.
"It's really hard because that's what I do for a living," said the owner of Anais Hair and Beauty Salon. "It's hard. It's heartbreaking for everybody."
The owner, who named the salon after her daughter, says she's been there for seven years.
She patiently waited for the landlord to retrieve some of her belongings.
"I was in Jersey and out of town when everything happened," said Luca Schiano Di Cola, the owner of Via Coma Pizzeria.
Di Cola's pizza shop next door had heavy smoke damage.
"We're working with PSE&G, the landlord is helping us as well, so we're trying to figure out how to start again," he said.
Fire officials say flames quickly spread to some apartments above as well.
No one was home at the time, but the Red Cross is now assisting four families, seven people in total, including children.
It took about 100 firefighters 45 minutes to get the blaze under control.
Officials say the fire marshal deemed the fire to be electrical and not suspicious after faulty surge plugs were found in the back of the barbershop.
----------
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Download our connected TV app
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
