A heartbreaking six alarm fire broke out along Lee Ave near and Williamsburg Street in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn on Sunday. The fire, which blazed for nearly three hours, consumed an entire row of kosher shops and stores just blocks away from the Satmar flagship shul, and along one of the busiest Jewish commercial strips in New York City.
Initial reports suggest the fire may have started in one of the shops, and spread quickly to at least nine other stores. While no civilians were hurt, one EMT and nine firefighters were injured, one critically. The businesses, many of which were still closed from the night before, were all securely fastened behind roll-down gates, which hampered firefighters from getting to the fire quickly. In total, over 200 firefighters were called in to fight the inferno.
Smoke from the fire could be seen for miles. “The whole block went up,” Yoel Gross, longtime resident of Williamsburg, who passed out bottles of water to the responders. “It was a huge fire, it’s a big loss.”
Businesses that were completely destroyed in the fire included the popular landmark restaurant Grill On Lee, Chocolate Wise, Eidlisz Shoes, What-A Bargain, Sew Splendid, L&S Rodent Proofing, Millie’s Hair Designers, Rite Site Optical and Falkowitz Cakes.
“Tragic day in the heart of South Williamsburg,” City Councilmember Lincoln Restler, whose district includes Williamsburg, said on X (formerly Twitter). “Spoke to three of the business owners and the property owner and we will do everything we can to help each and every business get back on their feet.”
New York Fire Department (NYFD) Chief John Hodges confirmed the challenge of getting into the stores which were locked, “The firefighters had to work very hard to get into them,” he said at a press briefing. “We cut the gates and we were able to get in. It was a challenging fire due to the hot weather and the fact the fire had gained headway before we were able to get water on it.”
Further speaking of the complications of the fire, Hodges said, “There’s a space in between the ceiling and the roof where the fire was well-advanced before we even arrived, so we had to force our way into every store…and stretch hose lines to each store. So it takes a lot of staffing and a lot of hard work. Other members had to go in and search to make sure there are no victims and start opening up, with tools, to expose the fire which is hidden above the ceiling. So, it’s labor intensive.” Hodges said the building had no sprinklers, nor were sprinklers legally required.
Williamsburg Shomrim told The Jewish Press that the exact location the fire began as well as the cause had not yet been confirmed, and any further comments were held pending the investigation. By 4 p.m. the fire had been mostly extinguished.
