Grand Avenue businesses erupt in flames

Posted

South shore firefighters helped extinguish several fires in Baldwin’s business row on March 2 — leaving at least 16 people homeless.

The Baldwin Fire Department and Nassau County’s Arson and Bomb Squad stopped a commercial fire in the second-floor apartments at 2380 Grand Ave. at nearly 1 a.m. on March 2. According to Nassau County detectives, officers observed a fire on the first-floor and safely remove all second-floor residents of the building with no injuries or incidents.

More than 40 Baldwin, Oceanside, Rockville Centre, and Long Beach fire fighters worked together to extinguish flames, and concluded the building suffered moderate structural damage — the building suffered from smoke, fire, and water damage. 

According to an ABC 7 report, 16 people were left homeless as a result of the fire. The police department said the Red Cross was at scene to provide shelter for residents of the building. 

Jerry Brown, a Baldwin fire fighter, said the fire department received a report of smoke entering an apartment near the corner of Grand Avenue and Prospect Street. He said firefighters from the Baldwin fire companies, found smoke in multiple apartments on the second floor, above commercials storefronts. 

Brown said the fire started in the basement — the second basement fire reported by the Herald in the last 15 days — in of one of the first-floor businesses, and spread up the walls to the businesses as well as second floor apartments. 

In a news release, Fire Chief William Dworsak, said all of the affected apartments were evacuated, and 16 adults and 4 children were able to escape unharmed. He said there were no civilian or firefighter injuries reported. 

Dworsak said the fire was not considered suspicious, and investigations are ongoing.