It was my Whitestone Shopping Center and last night it went up in flames. I saw it on the morning news. I threw on some clothes and ran up there to see if, first, my Chinese take-out was destroyed. Thank goodness it wasn't. I'll eat tonight. And second, to check whether my money was safe in the Chase bank. It was.
I got there before the police put up the yellow tape so I was able to get close to the devastation. And it was devastation. I could smell the acrid smoke. Lollipops restaurant was completely destroyed. Some say the fire started there. The GNC nutrition store, the Copy Center and the liquor store were all boarded up.
People milled around. Rumors spread: it started at Lollipops, at the abandoned KFC. Who knows. Channel Four (NBC) asked if this was my shopping center, had I been a customer here for a long time. "Yes," I said. "Twenty-five years," I said.
Lots of glass underfoot. Some kind of material (looked very flammable) hung down from the overhang. Workmen already cleaning up, sweeping, shoveling. "Where are we going to wait for the bus to Atlantic City?" a little woman asked.
The owner of my hair salon was there in tears. She had been planning to move her salon from the other side of the shopping center to this. They had started work in the abandoned KFC.
I had the impression the place would be cleaned up quickly. We all agreed insurance companies would pay.
I got there before the police put up the yellow tape so I was able to get close to the devastation. And it was devastation. I could smell the acrid smoke. Lollipops restaurant was completely destroyed. Some say the fire started there. The GNC nutrition store, the Copy Center and the liquor store were all boarded up.
People milled around. Rumors spread: it started at Lollipops, at the abandoned KFC. Who knows. Channel Four (NBC) asked if this was my shopping center, had I been a customer here for a long time. "Yes," I said. "Twenty-five years," I said.
Lots of glass underfoot. Some kind of material (looked very flammable) hung down from the overhang. Workmen already cleaning up, sweeping, shoveling. "Where are we going to wait for the bus to Atlantic City?" a little woman asked.
The owner of my hair salon was there in tears. She had been planning to move her salon from the other side of the shopping center to this. They had started work in the abandoned KFC.
I had the impression the place would be cleaned up quickly. We all agreed insurance companies would pay.
13 comments:
wow, that is some real current events right where you live...i have never had a personnal experience with a fire before...or a personal one either
oh my goodness. I hope no one was injured.
Glad no one was hurt and your chineese place is still standing.
What a loss to the community. Tragic.
yea this sucks i get Chinese food from the same place its funny cause everyone i know or told about the fire was worried about the same thing king chef babyy
Sad. It alsways saddens me when tragedy strikes the community.
I hope those business owners are insured and can survive this.
No one was injured? I sure hope not.
oh wow at least nobody was hurt during the fire.
OMG, that's terrible especially when it is so close and you are concerned. Fortunately no life was lost or people hurt !
Hi from a limerick-writing neighbor. (I live in Bayside, Queens.)
I found you while searching for info about the fire. Although I live a couple of miles from that shopping center (south of Northern Blvd.) my street was filled with smoke about 5:30 AM, presumably from that fire.
WOW.. crazy. Good reporting on that! Good pictures. Sad times for the owners.
Sounds awful. I also hope there were no injuries.
good thing the Chinese take-out place is OK!
workofthepoet.blogspot.com is very informative. The article is very professionally written. I enjoy reading workofthepoet.blogspot.com every day.
personal loans
cash advance
Post a Comment