Inatome fire ruled accidental

It is unlikely that the cause of the fire that destroyed a popular Valley Stream restaurant nearly three weeks ago will ever be known. Inatome Japanese Steakhouse and Seafood was gutted by an afternoon fire on Oct. 31.

The Nassau County fire marshal’s office determined that the blaze was accidental, and officials have ruled out arson. “There’s nothing indicating that it would be a set fire,” said Fire Marshal Joe Whittaker.

According to Whittaker, the fire began in the back of the restaurant, in the area of the hibachi tables. He said that because of the extent of the damage, investigators were unable to pinpoint an exact cause of the blaze.

The fire broke out at about 2 p.m., two hours before Inatome was scheduled to open for dinner, and there were no employees inside at the time. It took 200 firefighters from seven departments over two hours to bring the fire under control. Valley Stream Fire Chief Joseph Fernandez estimated the damage at $1 million.

Village building inspector Richie Sullivan said that despite the extensive damage, there are parts of the building that can be saved. He noted that the back area, which is masonry and steel construction, is salvageable. However, Sullivan said, portions of the wood-frame section of the building were badly damaged and will have to be demolished.

Sullivan said that parts of the building pre-date the village. Any new or renovated building would have to comply with modern codes, he explained.

The Building Department will now await plans from the owner, Keiji Inatome. Sullivan said it is up to Inatome to decide if it is more economically feasible to try to renovate the existing building or to tear the entire structure down and start from scratch.

Inatome, who is committed to re-opening the restaurant, said that because the exterior walls and foundation are in good shape, he plans to work with the existing building. The entire roof needs to replaced, he said, because much of it burned away in the fire. The interior, including the kitchen and dining area, suffered heavy fire, smoke and water damage.

The cleanup process is ongoing, Inatome said, adding that he hopes to be finished by next week. At the same time, blueprints are being drawn up for a new restaurant.

One item that will remain is a statue of a Maneki Neko, a Japanese lucky cat, which is blackened but intact. It has been a fixture in the restaurant for more than three decades, Inatome said. “The object has survived this horrendous fire inside the building,” he said. “The cat object has witnessed our past, present and will see our future. It is only an object, but it will help remind me all about our history.”

The outpouring of support from customers in the days after the fire made the decision to rebuild an easy one, Inatome said. The restaurant has been in Valley Stream since 1975. “I felt very strongly that I must rebuild the restaurant to give back what the community has lost,” he said. “The messages gave me a reason to rebuild the 35-year-old establishment back again.”

Since the fire, he has updated the restaurant’s website, www.inatomerestaurant.org, to let people know about the fire and thank his supporters. Inatome said he would periodically update the site to let people know about the rebuilding process.