Huntington Village Fire Destroys Several Stores but No Injuries
Fire destroys a restaurant, yoga studio, clothing store and more
A fire in Huntington Village shocked store owners from New York City when it ripped through a building containing a number of different shops, including a clothing store that had been at that location for nearly two decades. Firefighters responded to the scene, but they were too late to put the fire out before it could spread from the three stores where they believe it started to the rest of the building. They concentrated on containing it within the single structure itself, and they were able to do so.
The fire caused a fair amount of chaos as it tore through the building, destroying multiple shops and causing the roof to collapse in one place. Firefighters said that they believe there is significant structural damage, though they are still cleaning up the scene to find out just how extensive it is. The restaurant, Red, was open when the fire started, and around 70 people had to be evacuated. No one was seriously injured in the fire, and the one minor injury that did occur was to a firefighter who fell while fighting the blaze. He needed stitches, which were administered at the nearby hospital.
The damage to some of the stores was due more to water than to fire and smoke. One store owner reported that the basement had been totally flooded during the event, meaning that all of the inventory was destroyed along with the store itself.
While all fires cannot be prevented, people do have a right to shop and eat in places that have been maintained well enough that they are free of fire hazards. If someone suffered burn injuries in a similar situation, for example, they may be able to start a court case to pay for the pains and suffering or the medical costs if it was found that the owners of the building were responsible for the fire. Thankfully, that did not happen to anyone in this case.
Source: Newsday, “Business owners ‘in shock’ over Huntington Village fire” David M. Schwartz, Mar. 02, 2014