By Jeff Lipton
The blaze apparently erupted inside the greenhouse adjoining the E. Luke Florist, at 47 Conklin Ave., on Aug. 18 at around 2 a.m., officials said. The quick-moving fire then spread to the main showroom and office, gutting the building, before it was brought under control, fire officials said.
No one was reported injured, officials added.
The flower shop has been owned by Frank Romanelli for the past 15 years, but the building has stood there since 1925, the shop's managers said.
Those who worked for the florist said they are heartbroken that the building has been destroyed.
"It burned to the ground and we're all devastated about that," said Claire Leone, an assistant manager who has worked there for 10 years. "It was our second home."
Philip Albergo, a manager who has worked at the florist for three years, said "it's a big shock. We're all pitching together and helping out, trying to get back on our feet. Eventually, we will be up and running and better than ever."
In the meantime, Woodmere Florist, at 1106 Broadway, is allowing E. Luke Florist to share its space until a more permanent location can be found.
"We want to get the word out that we're still in business and our smiles are still blooming," said Leone trying to hold back tears.
Albergo said it may be a couple of weeks before a new place is located, but expressed extreme gratitude to Woodmere Florist for helping out.
"Opening their shop to us like this has definitely been a big part," he said. "We try to help each other out all year long. And right now, obviously, they are helping us out a lot."
The blaze caused considerable damage to the shop, and the building probably will have to be demolished, said Vincent McManus, a supervisor with the Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office.
"The building is an old wood-frame structure and the fire spread quickly through it," McManus said.
Led by the Woodmere Fire Department, firefighters knocked down the blaze and kept it from spreading to nearby buildings, McManus said.
The blaze is under investigation by the Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office and the Nassau County Police Department's Arson/Bomb Squad.
About 75 firefighters battled the blaze before bringing it under control in about 25 minutes, said Chief David DeSetta of the Woodmere Fire Department.
"It was heavy fire throughout the entire building," said DeSetta, who added that flames in the rear of the shop were shooting 40 to 50 feet into the air.
"It was real tight with some [adjacent] houses," said DeSetta. "If we didn't get to it fast, those houses would have ignited."
He said a few families living on either side of the E. Luke Florist were told to evacuate their homes for about an hour as a precaution, DeSetta said.
"There was a large amount of fire when they arrived," McManus said. "They did a real good job in keeping it from spreading to other structures."
The cause of the fire was still under investigation, McManus said, adding that investigators are looking into several possibilities, including that the heavy rain on Friday night may have seeped into the electrical wires.
In addition, the greenhouse, which was attached to the main structure, was not as secure as it could have been, he said. "The greenhouse was not very secure and if someone wanted to get in there, they could," McManus said. "But we're not really concentrating on that right now. The cause of the fire is still undetermined. At this time, the fire is not considered suspicious."
In addition to the Woodmere Fire Department, also responding to the blaze were firefighters from Hewlett, Lawrence-Cedarhurst, Meadowmere Park, Valley Stream and Lynbrook.
E. Luke Florist can be reached at (516) 374-0360.
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