By Alex Ginsberg
A massive four-alarm fire tore through a row of stores along Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside last Thursday afternoon, injuring 17 firefighters and gutting several small businesses, including a beloved Sunnyside pub.
More than 150 firefighters battled the blaze for almost five hours, struggling at times just to see clearly though a thick black cloud of smoke trapped by the oppressive humidity. Queens Boulevard was shut down between 39th and 43rd streets and No. 7 subway service suspended between Queens Plaza and Woodside.
The cause of the fire was still being investigated, but Assistant Chief Bob Sweeney said at the scene that it might be suspicious because of the speed at which the blaze had intensified.
“There may be a reason for it. There may not be a reason for it. It's very unusual for a fire to spread like this at this time of day,” he said.
The fire started shortly after 2 p.m. in one of the nine stores that line the south side of Queens Boulevard between 41st and 42nd streets. Firefighters entered Blooms Public House, a recently renovated Irish pub, but quickly found that the fire was too advanced to fight from the inside.
“We were there for probably 15-20 minutes and then the chief decided to pull everybody out and do an outside operation,” said Lt. Bob Traver, a member of Woodside's Engine Co. 325.
For the better part of the afternoon, firefighters poured water onto the crumbling roof of the one-story brick building, waiting for it to collapse and help smother the remained flames.
By day's end, 14 firefighters had been taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center and Astoria General Hospital for smoke inhalation, sprains, strains and heat exhaustion while three were treated at the scene.
David Billig, a Fire Department spokesman, said two firefighters and one civilian were also injured in a related incident when an ambulance racing to the scene hit another car on Queens Boulevard and 44th Street.
According to Sweeney, no civilians were injured in the fire, although firefighters evacuated two four-story buildings on 41st and 42nd streets adjoining the site of the blaze.
He said efforts to fight the fire were hampered by the extreme heat and humidity and that extra units were called in so that firefighters could be relieved more quickly. Those rotated out took advantage of an air-conditioned New York City Transit bus that had been turned into an ad-hoc cooling center.
“It's extremely hot for the firefighters. With the amount of gear, their safety equipment and personal protective equipment, it adds another 40-50 pounds,” he said. “We're relieving the companies as quickly as we can.”
In addition to Blooms, the fire totally destroyed Nam's Sun Market, a grocery store; Pronto Envio, a money-transfer service; The Butcher's Block; an Irish delicatessen: and a Dunkin' Donuts. Four other businesses on the block sustained lesser damage.
George Korakis, the owner of the strip of properties, was traveling and could not be reached for comment, but his son confirmed that his father was aware of the fire and had not made any decisions yet on whether the building would be torn down or rebuilt.
Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, who was en route to her office from a meeting with the city parks commissioner when she detoured to visit the scene of the blaze, said it was a tragedy for the small businesses that formed the backbone of the community.
“It's a big blow,” she said, suggesting that organizations such as the Queens County Overall Economic Development Corporation might be able to assist the business owners.
Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Sunnyside) met Monday with the merchants to make sure their insurance claims were processed quickly and to determine how, if at all, the city could help them.
Residents were particularly dismayed to hear of the demise of Bloom's, a mahogany-paneled neighborhood institution known for thick pints of Guinness, heaping plates of corned beef and excellent live music.
“Oh! My bar!” exclaimed one Sunnysider as he arrived at the site and was told of the destruction of Blooms Public House. “That's one of the prime spots.”
The man, Mark Jones, a 40-year-old actor, said he was taking the No. 7 train back from Manhattan when the passengers were told to get out at Queens Plaza.
Across the boulevard at Maggie May's, another popular watering hole, happy hour was tinged with sadness.
“It's terrible,” said Chris Liatto, a 38-year-old bricklayer, as he slowly sipped his Budweiser. “It was a beautiful place to hang out. The food was great. The service was great.”
Reach reporter Alex Ginsberg by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 157.
