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Firefighters battle 3-alarm fire in commercial area of Throgs Neck

News 12 has learned that the rubbish fire started before 7:30 p.m. next to a two-story commercial building, and then spread into the structure and another two-story building.

News 12 Staff

Apr 30, 2022, 12:20 AM

Updated 956 days ago

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Firefighters were at a scene of three-alarm fire in a commercial area of in Throgs Neck Friday night.
The FDNY says it happened around 7:30 p.m. on the corner of Randall and East Tremont avenues.
A firefighter suffered minor injuries.
The FDNY says it started as a rubbish fire that broke out behind a strip of buildings before it traveled inside.
Fabulous Flowers of Tremont Avenue and Ikonic Sports Bar were among the impacted businesses.
"All I could think was 'this whole building is done.' By the time we saw, it, it was huge," said Stephanie Meireles, who is the co-owner of the bar. She was inside the establishment when her security guard, Joseph Duran, noticed the flames outside.
"I told my boss, 'Call 911.' She called 911, we went back there with extinguishers and did what we had to do to control the fire until the fire department came," Duran explained.
It was a similar call to action around the block. Eyewitness Silverio Amidrano told News 12 he noticed the fire from his backyard and jumped in to help.
"There was somebody on the roof screaming. I said, 'Let me put the ladder down,' but he wanted to jump, so me and my daughter we helped him out, grabbed him and took him down," Amidrano said.
The FDNY says more than 240 firefighters responded.
The apartments on the second floor appeared to get the brunt of the damage.
"I mean, I was just worried because I know people live upstairs. The super lives upstairs, and I was worried it was going to make it to the bar. We have our employees in there," Meireles said.
As for the business on the first floor, like the bar and the florist shop, they say it appears they just sustained water damage.
"Just hoping for the best but so far, it appears we weren't really affected that much it was mainly the apartments upstairs. I might have water damage, but we'll be open again soon," Meireles said.
Neighbors told News 12 they are happy everyone made it out, and that it appears no one was critically injured.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.