Bronx blaze injures four firefighters, shuts down five businesses

Several firefighters are being treated for injuries after a blaze in the Bronx impacted multiple businesses.

Five stores were damaged after a fire tore through a commercial building complex on East 233rd Street between Gunther Avenue and Edenwald Avenue Tuesday morning.

The city Department of Buildings issued vacate orders for the five businesses.

“A customer called me and said there’s smoke coming from next door, so I just come outside and called 911,” said Lloyd Duncunson, who owns Lammy’s Restaurant and Lounge.

Fire officials said Tuesday that more than 130 members of the FDNY responded to the fire.

The fire originated at a plumbing and heating business in the complax just after 7 a.m. Firefighters were able to get everything under control by 9 a.m.

“It was mayhem,” said Falcon Carrier, the owner of Cloud Nine Beauty Supply. “The whole block was closed down. We had about, I’m not exaggerating, about 15 trucks out here.”

“Yeah, I got smoke damage,” Duncunson said. “And the roof. You know they had to cut the roof to make sure no smoke inside.”

Duncunson said the power and gas was turned off in the row of stores as a precaution.

The fire put the owners of the five damaged businesses out of business for at least several days. But they could be closed for months, depending on the extent of the damage.

“We had smoke. Smoke went through our entire building, so smoke damage,” Carrier said. “Definitely got some some damage, and it’s going to affect business for the next couple of days.”

The property manager for the building said the owners of the property plan to rebuild so that the businesses can get their businesses open as soon as possible.

Four firefighters suffered minor injuries while fighting the blaze, but no other injuries were reported.

The American Red Cross was at the scene of the fire Tuesday to help people relocate.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.