By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-30 21:39:13 | Updated at 2024-12-01 00:51:33
3 hours ago
Towering flames and thick plumes of smoke engulfed a Queens strip mall early Saturday afternoon.
One firefighter was taken to Northwell Health with minor injuries from battling the two-alarm blaze in the rear of 62-16 Woodhaven Blvd., between 62nd Avenue and 62nd Road, which housed Uzbeki restaurant Taste of Samarkand, according to FDNY.
The eatery was closed when firefighters responded to the fire just before 11 a.m., the department said.
Also located in the Rego Park strip mall were additional restaurants and other small businesses, several of which also appear to have caught fire in videos posted on social media.
Photographs showed the charred remains of one outdoor dining shed destroyed.
In total, 25 FDNY units and 106 fire and EMS personnel responded to get the blaze under control at around 12:16 p.m., the department said.
Investigators are looking into whether the fire was sparked by space heaters in outdoor dining extensions on one or two of the restaurants, an FDNY source told The Post.
