Fire officials in Queens are trying to determine what caused two fast-spreading fires overnight. A house fire in Maspeth left two people injured, followed by a fire at a two-story building on Guy R Brewer Blvd. that destroyed a former soul food restaurant in Springfield Gardens.
Damage to the onetime restaurant was so bad that the siding looked like it had melted off, leaving the brick interior of the building exposed.
Firefighters work to stop an overnight fire at the site of a former soul food restaurant in Springfield Gardens, Queens. (Image: FNTV)
The FDNY got the call shortly after midnight. Crews were met with smoky conditions and flames shooting out of what appeared to be a deck on the back end of the empty building, and the interior of the second floor, where officials say that fire originated. Nearly 200 first responders were called to the scene.
“The whole thing — the business and the apartment — nobody lived there no more. After last week, they closed it down,” said Madgi Elkayfe, who works next door. “I asked them, they said it was some wiring like old wiring and nobody took care of it. And that’s what happened — something with the wiring and it got on fire.”
The house fire in Maspeth broke out a few hours later. That fire also required a large response from dozens of emergency personnel. They worked for hours to get the flames under control.
The American Red Cross tells NBC New York that it’s providing emergency assistance to at least 10 people who are out of their homes as a result of that fire. Those in need include a child.
The FDNY works to stop a house fire in Maspeth, Queens early Sunday morning. (Image: FNTV)
Both fires remained under investigation Sunday evening.