A devastating blaze tore through multiple businesses in the University Heights neighborhood of the Bronx earlier today. As reported by ABC7NY, the fire erupted before 8:30 a.m. on Jerome Avenue, swiftly engulfing several establishments including a restaurant, a deli, and adjacent shops.
The sheer intensity of the fire escalated to a five-alarm emergency, prompting an extensive response from NYC firefighters. Flames were visible as they ripped through the buildings, while smoke billowed into the morning sky. A deli worker inside Finest Deli at the time of the incident recounted the ordeal, "I feel very bad, I lose my store now. I don't know, all my work, and now is where it going," he told ABC7NY. The commuter disruptions caused by the fire were evident, as No. 4 trains faced delays, bypassing the Burnside Avenue subway station close to the scene.
Further reporting from CBS News New York provided a list of affected businesses which include a Total Wireless by Verizon store, two restaurants, a deli, a pharmacy, and an optical shop. Overhead footage captured by helicopter showed firefighters on ladder trucks attacking the fire from above, while ground units worked amidst thick smoke obstructing the Bronx intersection.
One of the business owners, Jessica Betancourt, who heard about the fire and hastened from her New Jersey home, expressed her determination amid the loss. "I feel like I'm reliving this moment again. I was looted in 2020, and we picked up, we have a good team, good support from the community and the local officials, and we picked up and we did it again," Betancourt said to CBS News New York. "I'm going to do it again, this is not the end of us. This is the second devastation we've had here in the community, but we serve the community and we're not going to stop." While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, officials have not reported any injuries in connection with the blaze.
