Flatbush grocery store closed Friday following overnight fire

The FDNY tells News 12 reports of a machine fire at the store came in around 12:30 a.m. on Friday, nearly half an hour after the store closed.

Julia Burns

Oct 4, 2024, 9:56 AM

Updated 39 days ago

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Flatbush Food Co-op closed Friday because of an overnight fire inside the grocery store.
The FDNY tells News 12 reports of a machine fire at the store came in around 12:30 a.m. on Friday, nearly half an hour after the store closed.
They say 60 firefighters and EMS personnel responded to the fire, and it was put out before 1 a.m. They say nobody was injured.
Employees of the store told News 12 they had to shut of their electricity for nine hours. Because of this, they had to throw out all of their produce.
They also tell News 12 they experienced flooding as well, as floor and minor ceiling damage.
Marketing manager Leah Danger says they hope to open as soon as possible.
“We’ve had a lot of people coming by offering to help, this is their main place they’ve been coming here for 30 years. We serve thousands of people a week," said Danger.
The store has been open since 1976, and employs 60 people, all from New York and most living right in the local community. Although the store was closed, dozens of shoppers, like Benjamin Calixte, came by to show their support.
"It’s been here forever, since I was a kid my father has shopped here, my parents have shopped here," said Calixte.
Shoppers like Raquel Irizarry say the store is one of the only ones in the area that accommodates her dietary restrictions.
"They have products nobody else has. I am gluten free and lactose intolerant. So if people need specific things they’re going to have to go out of their way to get it for themselves and their children," said Irizarry.
The grocery store is co-owned by its 4,600 members. It serves 10,000 people a week. Members like Raquel Irizarry say it's not just any grocery store, it's a family.
“This place is a cornerstone of this community and the people who work here are like our extended family. It’s not just a shopping store it really is part of our community," said Irizarry.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known as of Friday. Employees tell News 12 they are hoping to reopen in the coming days.