A fire burned through a building that was home to several businesses overnight in Hicksville, New York.
The Nassau County Police Department said first responders were called shortly before 12:15 a.m. to Halal Munchies restaurant on East Marie Street. The shop is located around the block from the Long Island Rail Road station and Hicksville Fire Department.
Police said everyone inside was able to escape, but one firefighter suffered a minor injury.
The Hicksville fire chief said if not for the building’s fire walls, the entire row of businesses on East Marie Street could have been destroyed. He said he pulled crews from the building just moments before the floor collapsed.
In addition to Hicksville, crews from Mineola, Levittown and East Meadow were called to assist. The Nassau County Fire Marshal Drone Team was also deployed.
Business owners devastated over loss
A fire burned through a building that was home to several businesses overnight in Hicksville, New York.
CBS News New York
While the fire may be out, several businesses are now in ruins. That includes the halal restaurant, which just opened two weeks ago, and a coffee shop that has been in the community since the 1970s.
Bash Khan said his brother owns the halal spot where platters, sandwiches and salads were being prepared when the fire broke out.
“He called me, like, ‘Oh, the store is gone.’ I’m like, ‘What happened?” He said, unfortunate events have happened, the store burned down,” said Khan. “I’m like, I’m going to come to the scene, I called a few workers, they told me that it was apparently — I don’t know 100% if it was a gas leak or if it something else, but we’re still trying to figure out what happened.”
For decades, Nick and Maria Kefalas’ neighboring House of Donuts has served coffee, doughnuts and pastries to loyal customers, including many LIRR commuters.
“I’m really sad. I hope we can fix the store as soon as possible,” Nick Kefalas said.
“I’m there seven days a week all my life, my husband too,” added Maria Keflas. “Every day, we have the same customers. It’s a family business. The customers we have, most people, we feel like it’s our family.”
A Pakistani clothing store and Chinese church also sustained smoke and water damage in the fire.
Landlord Markela Melios said the building has been in her family for the last 40 years.
“It’s just sad, because cousins owned businesses here,” she said. “We’re thankful it didn’t hurt anybody and that it wasn’t worse, it didn’t go to the second floor.”
The Arson Bomb Squad and fire marshal’s office are trying to determine the cause of the fire. Meanwhile, National Grid and PSEG Long Island are working to get power and gas restored to the area.