Flames and heavy smoke tore through the Boro Park Seder Matzah Bakery in Brooklyn early Wednesday, injuring several people and damaging a cornerstone of the neighborhood, officials said.
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The FDNY responded to a two-story mixed-use building on 36th Street in Brooklyn before 2 a.m. Wednesday morning
According to officials, one firefighter and three civilians were injured, the youngest just 2 years old
All of those injured were sent to the hospital and are expected to be OK, officials said
The FDNY responded to a two-story mixed-use building on 36th Street before 2 a.m.
According to officials, one firefighter and three civilians were injured, the youngest just 2 years old. All those injured were sent to the hospital and are expected to be OK.
“It was a little scary coming into work seeing chaos going on right across the street from work,” David Balszer, who works nearby, said.
The city’s Buildings Department issued full vacate orders for this and a neighboring property, forcing families from their homes.
The bakery sits in the heart of Borough Park, home to one of the largest Orthodox Jewish communities in the country, where handmade matzah is central to Passover traditions.
For Balszer, the loss is already being felt.
“It’s a small window of opportunity for this business. You know, it’s only for a holiday that’s eight days, so it’s a seasonal job,” Balszer said.
The bakery produces a stricter form of handmade matzah, made under precise religious standards, relied on by families across the community.
“It’s definitely a big loss for the community,” Balszer said.
And with Passover approaching in just a few months, the timing makes the loss especially difficult.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to officials.