MIDWOOD, Brooklyn (WABC) — A massive fire destroyed a row of buildings in Midwood, Brooklyn on Thursday, and devastated countless livelihoods in the process.
FDNY officials say a fire was reported in a restaurant at 1021 Avenue H between East 10th Street and Coney Island Avenue around 4:40 p.m.
NewsCopter 7 was above the row of businesses as firefighters battled the fire on the roof.
NewsCopter 7 was above the row of businesses as firefighters battled the fire on the roof.
The restaurant shares a rear wall with the businesses on the street.
The fire penetrated through the back of a barbershop while customers were still inside.
“Yes we was working because tomorrow we have a holiday that’s why we had too much client,” said barbershop owner Amjid Ysman.
“Crazy flames. We started looking over there, everybody got up,” said a barbershop customer named Shah. “At first, it was just smoke. We thought it was nothing, it was normal. But then when the flames started coming everybody got us and ran away.”
Within minutes, it raged into a three-alarm fire.
Fire officials say 63 units with 192 fire and EMS personnel raced to the scene.
“The rapid spread of the fire. Several engine companies had to stretch hose lines into several stores at the same time to try to contain the fire from spreading to neighboring buildings,” said FDNY Chief Jason Warnken.
No one was injured, but the fire left a scene of desperation in its wake.
Clothing store owners tried to salvage whatever they could. Next door, shattered glass sits in chairs where customers should be instead. An Uzbek community down the block, gathered to see one of their restaurants gutted. Workers at a physical therapy clinic around the block filled garbage bags full of debris.
Eight small businesses in all were devastated by the ferocious fire, and countless livelihoods have been wiped out.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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