Neighborhood, News, Sunnyside
Dec 14, 2018

Fire In Sunnyside Injures 12 And Destroys 6 Businesses, But You Can Help

At about 2am on Thursday, December 13, a massive fire ripped through multiple storefronts on Queens Boulevard between 45th and 46th Streets. Firefighters responded immediately to the scene, where they (…)

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Fire destroys six businesses on Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside.

Six stores on Queens Boulevard were completely destroyed by fire on Thursday.

At about 2am on Thursday, December 13, a massive fire ripped through multiple storefronts on Queens Boulevard between 45th and 46th Streets. Firefighters responded immediately to the scene, where they found that the fire had started in New York Style Eats, and then spread to the entire block of storefronts, which included a UPS store, Sidetracks, Zen Yai, Romantic Depot, and a hardware store. As a result of the flames, all six businesses have been destroyed.

In addition, 12 people are reported injured, including seven firefighters. FDNY Chief of EMS James Booth says that the injuries occurred when an explosion caused a structural collapse. The injuries, however, were not life-threatening.

The fire was finally put under control at about 8am, thanks to the work of some 198 firefighters, who not only doused the flames, but also protected the adjacent residences. Businesses in the adjoining lots were also unaffected by the fire.

The six businesses, however, were not so lucky, and the owners and their patrons are feeling the loss deeply. Sidetracks, an Irish-style pub, had stood there for about 30 years and had recently undergone renovations. New York Style Eats was a favorite diner in Sunnyside. Zen Yai was a Vietnamese restaurant that opened in 2017.

Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer tweeted his support of both the firefighters and the businesses, and said that he was ready to “help our neighbors recover in any way possible.”

Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer on the scene of the fire in Sunnyside.

But as devastating as the fire has been, there is a silver lining. The Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District, of which all six affected businesses were members, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for assistance for the business owners and their employees.

So far, more than $27,000 has been raised, and it hasn’t even been 24 hours since the GoFundMe’s creation. If you’d like to extend some help to our hurting neighbors, please donate!

 

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