Three firefighters were treated for minor injuries after a 2-alarm fire broke out in a multistory building on Villa Avenue in the Bedford Park section of The Bronx on Friday, June 6. According to the FDNY, the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation though a department spokesperson said it started at the street level pizzeria and spread to the higher floors.

 

FDNY officials said the department received a call at 4.59 p.m. for a report of a fire at 3133 Villa Avenue by East 205th Street between Jerome Avenue and the Grand Concourse. Las Margaritas’ pizzeria is located on the ground floor of the 5-story building (25 x 75 sq. ft.) at that address.

They said 25 units comprising 106 firefighters responded to the scene and the fire was brought under control at 6.03 p.m. They said the three injured firefighters were transported to nearby Montefiore Medical Center in Norwood for treatment.

 

Several fire and EMS units lined Villa Avenue, the Grand Concourse, Jerome Avenue and Bedford Park Boulevard on the day of the blaze. The water hose from one fire truck was seen connected to a fire hydrant located on the corner of Villa Avenue and East 205th Street outside a local deli, where around a month earlier a car was seen blocking the hydrant.

An 11-year-old girl accompanied by some family members was seen crying on Villa Avenue and seemingly in shock after residents evacuated the building, some seen holding small babies and pets. To view a short video of the scene, click here.

 

In the days that followed, the pizzeria was seen shuttered with a notice from the owner explaining that there had been a fire. “We hope to be back to serve you soon!” the notice read. Next door, a vacate notice was seen affixed to the main door of the residential section of the building, instructing people not to enter. Many of the windows on the higher floors were seen boarded up.

 

On Sunday, June 8, a food delivery driver was seen exiting the building where the fire had broken out delivering food to an apartment on the top floor. We later spoke to a woman who was going into the building and asked if the pizza shop had been completely destroyed. “I don’t know,” she said. Given the “do not enter” sign on the door, we asked if she lived in the building. “It’s only for three, six and… “ she said, adding she believed the pizza shop was destroyed and that it had been in business for about six years.

 

A second resident said in reference to the fire, “Two days ago, there was a gas leak. I think it was on the outside, but it burned the pizzeria. Yeah, there was a gas leak outside the building.”

 

We asked if it then spread upstairs, and the resident said, “I don’t really know exactly, but the apartments on this side (on Villa Avenue) they all caught on fire.” Asked if she lived in the building, she said, “Yeah. Thankfully my apartment didn’t [catch fire]. Thankfully, it was during the day; it was like around 4 o’clock.” Asked if she had had to evacuate, she said, “Yeah, there was already smoke in the hallway right here.”

 

Asked if it had been scary, she said, “A little bit, yeah.” We asked the second resident if she knew if the pizza shop had been totally destroyed, she said, “When I looked at it when it was still technically open, it didn’t look that destroyed, but it needs a clean-up at least.” Asked how long it had been open, she said, “I think like 2017.”

A Red Cross spokesperson later said that the organization had assisted four households comprising 14 individuals with accommodation and other help. The Red Cross typically provides information packets regarding recovery resources and guidance, clean-up kits, comfort kits with personal care items, snacks, waters, and other items as needed.

 

When a home is unable to be reoccupied and/or has received substantial damage, the Red Cross also offers temporary lodging and/or financial assistance. A spokesperson said Red Cross caseworkers continue to work with families to connect them with additional resources for long-term recovery needs.

 

Any persons impacted by fire or other disasters who need recovery assistance and have not already connected with Red Cross services should contact 1-877-RED CROSS (1-877-733-2767) and select Option 1.

 

To read some of our recent fire-related coverage, click here, here, and here.

 

Click here to read FDNY’s fire safety tips. “During a fire, always close the door behind you!” fire officials say. “It helps contain smoke and flames, giving you precious time to escape.”

FDNY officials are also reminding drivers not to block fire hydrants to prevent delays connecting fire hoses to hydrants. As reported, two people were killed after a fire engulfed a Buddhist temple on Anthony Avenue in Fordham Heights on Feb. 12, and fire officials said their rescue efforts were hampered by a car parked in front of a fire hydrant across the street from the blaze.