Thursday, October 1, 2026
The East Rockaway seafood eatery Reel sustained a roof and ceiling fire early last Friday morning, causing $200,000 worth of damage and closing the popular bayside restaurant for what could be three to four weeks.
According to East Rockaway Fire Department Chief James Henshaw, smoke was pouring out of the building when he arrived at the scene at 3 a.m. April 3. Firefighters discovered flames between the drop ceilings, on the roof and in the ductwork, and had to rip through the roof and the bar inside to get to the fire. “It was an accidental fire in the wood beams over the kitchen,” said Reel co-owner Shaun Manning. “The fire department was here in seven minutes … they did a great job in putting out the fire so quickly.”
The blaze was brought under control within an hour, and no injuries were reported. The Lynbrook, Rockville Centre and Oceanside fire departments also responded.
“My thanks to my department and the mutual aid departments for a very safe and professional operation,” Henshaw said.
Manning added that although Reel is currently closed for repairs, it will reopen on April 26 for the restaurant’s Open Deck Party, which had been in the works all year. “It’s our seasonal opening, and we’ll reopen again in time,” he said. “We want to thank our residents and neighboring communities for all the support they’ve shown us since we’ve been open. Everyone’s been very inspiring.”
