You are reading

Five-Alarm Fire Rips Through Flushing Shopping Mall Thursday Morning

A large fire tore through a Flushing mall early Thursday that houses 30 kiosks (Photo: FDNY)

March 17, 2022 By Michael Dorgan

A large fire tore through a Flushing shopping mall early Thursday that houses around 30 kiosks, according to the FDNY.

Firefighters responded to a report of a fire taking place at the one-story mall, located at 40-10 Main St. at around 6 a.m. and quickly upgraded the blaze to a five-alarm fire which brought more than 200 firefighters to the scene, FDNY officials said.

The fire broke out before rush hour while it was still dark and plumes of heavy smoke could be seen billowing up into the air.

Firefighters initially struggled to get inside the building, as black smoke poured out from the entrance and then the roof of the building partially collapsed, FDNY Acting Chief Richard Blatus said.

The FDNY got the blaze under control at around 11:30 a.m., according to reports.

However, Blatus said that because of the ceiling collapse, the fire load underneath needs to burn through before firefighters can complete their operations.

“This is a very stubborn fire,” Blatus said. “We will be here for most of the day, if not through the night.”

“Once the fire is completely extinguished, we will have DOB evaluate the structure,” Blatus said.

He said there were no reported civilian injuries and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Council Member Sandra Ung was at the scene of the blaze and said that buildings surrounding the mall suffered water damage.

Ung said she is working on ways to help all of the small businesses impacted by the fire.

“I am already in direct contact with the Small Business Services Commissioner and will continue to monitor developments and changes in the situation.”

Ung said the fire led to a number of traffic disruptions.

The 7 train and LIRR are temporarily not stopping at Main Street station while local buses in downtown Flushing have delays in both directions.

Main Street between 39th Avenue and Kissena Boulevard as well as Roosevelt Avenue between Prince Street and Union Street are currently closed to traffic.

Council Member Sandra Ung

Council Member Sandra Ung speaking to the FDNY (Photo provided by Council Member Sandra Ung)

email the author: [email protected]

One Comment

Click for Comments 
Frank Wisebart

There should be a method to do a visible walk through of the
buildings in the area.I see electrical wiring that can compromise
any building in this city. Set up a fund to the small business to help them through.

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News
BP launches new advisory panel for youth to become civically engaged in the future of Queens

In an effort to get more young people involved in civics, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards has created a new advisory panel known as the Youth and Young Adult Council to introduce the “youngest and fiercest” community advocates to both community service and organization.

Members of the advisory body will advocate concerns through means of community engagement by participating in one of two cohorts. The first will be made up of high school representatives between the ages of 13 and 17, while the second cohort will be comprised of young adults between the ages of 18 and 25.

Read More
0
Load More Articles