A devastating fire engulfed several businesses and a church in Downtown Hicksville, striking at the heart of the community just after midnight. According to ABC7NY, the blaze, starting in the basement of a building on East Marie Street, was brought under control within a span of two and a half hours. Improperly beginning with after the flames had already started, an active natural gas leak was discovered; however, officials stated the leak was a consequence of the fire, not the cause.
While the conflagration caused no civilian casualties, one firefighter sustained a minor injury and received treatment on the scene. The intensity of the incident called for a deployment of some 200 firefighters and support from seven neighboring fire departments, as indicated by NBC New York. The origin of the fire is believed to be in the basement beneath Halal Munchies, a local restaurant. The extent of damage across the affected businesses remains under investigation.
Amongst the wreckage, the House of Donuts bore significant damage. "We are there seven days a week, all my life," lamented owner Maria Kefalas in an interview obtained by NBC New York. "My husband too, my husband's there from 1977." She grieved not just the material loss, but also the communal connection severed, as the shop was a long-standing family business deeply intertwined with the daily fabric of local lives.
The fire also affected a Pakistani boutique and the Long Island Abundant Church nearby. National Grid shut off the gas on the street after the incident, and the front of Halal Munchies, now covered with plywood, remains damaged. Nassau County police are still investigating the cause of the fire and evaluating its impact on Hicksville’s downtown area.
