A pair of local fires last week, one at a nail salon near Gun Hill Road, the other at a women’s shelter on the Grand Concourse, inflicted damage to businesses and injuries to at least two small children and a firefighter. Fortunately, no one died and the damage was limited.

The first fire started last Thursday afternoon, Feb. 17, at New Sweety nail salon on DeKalb Avenue, near Gun Hill Road. Fire Department officials said the fire started in New Sweety’s basement, but the cause is still undetermined.

The next day, Friday, Feb. 18, sometime after noon, a fire broke out in an apartment at Concourse House on 196th Street, a transitional housing shelter for single women and children.

Two young children, ages 2 and 3, were trapped inside the apartment when an off-duty firefighter from Ladder 61 went into the building and tried to douse the flames with a fire extinguisher. Firefighters from Ladder 56 followed up and rescued the two kids. Their mother was wearing a towel outside of the building when they arrived.
Deputy Chief Kevin Scanlon said the fire was still under investigation. He said the two children were taken to Jacobi Hospital after suffering smoke inhalation.

New Sweety customer Laila Octave said she was waiting to get her toenails painted when she saw flames in the back of the salon. Octave, standing on the sidewalk in the flip-flops the salon provides its customers, remembered she heard someone yell “Fire!” and that the business owner, Wang Dong, tried to put it out.

“When the flames turned black, I ran,” she said. Next door at Hair Professionals, customers also evacuated due to the smoke fumes. Many customers had to leave mid procedure as well and could be seen on the opposite side of the street with rollers in their hair, half dried nails, or one waxed eyebrow.

After the fire was extinguished, customers were able to get their belongings. Octave said that, luckily, her Ugg Boots did not suffer much damage.

Fire officials said that because the cause of the fire was still underdetermined, the building’s electricity needed to be cut.

Abdo Sharhan, the building owner, said several other local businesses share a basement with New Sweety, including Hair Professionals, B&J Laundromat, Sharon’s Flower and Gift, Candy and Grocery, Four Brothers Pizza, and Gold Plus. All lost power that day. Since then, temporary power was restored, but the stores still have no heat or hot water.

Sharon Cho, owner of Flower and Gift, said she has been able to remain open without incident. But other businesses haven’t been as lucky. Hair Professionals owner Juliana Elliot said she has had to cancel many appointments. “It’s very hard, we are struggling,” she said, adding that she doesn’t know if she will be able to remain open.

New Sweety nail salon will remain closed for renovations until further notice.