A fire engulfed Santiago's Beer Garden in East Harlem on Wednesday evening, causing substantial damage to the adjacent structures and displacing residents. According to information from ABC7NY, the blaze broke out when the beer garden was closed and swiftly moved to an adjoining residential building, impacting the second and third floors and eventually spreading to the fourth.
Some 170 firefighters were dispatched to control the inferno, as reported by FDNY officials. Amid their efforts to contain the flames, one person sustained minor injuries but refused to accept further medical assistance at the scene. Firefighters had to quickly battle to prevent the fire from causing more destruction. Deputy Assistant Chief James Canty described the intense situation, stating, "The windows gave way due to the extreme heat in the rear of the building and the fire entered through those windows," in a statement obtained by ABC7NY.
The cause of the fire remains unknown and is currently under investigation. The conflagration originated in what appeared to be a trash can, which then allowed the flames to spread indoors, as mentioned by Matthew Fermin, the owner of the Dominican restaurant, in an interview with NBC New York. The FDNY confirmed that it took several hours and a multitude of units to get the fire under control.
The aftermath of the incident has left local business owner Sindy, who runs a dry cleaners next door, and several residents without their establishments and homes due to water, smoke, and fire damage. "There was like a garbage can that was on fire and it made the fire spread to the inside, and then it just kept moving in," Fermin recounted to NBC New York. In response to the crisis, the Red Cross stepped in to assist at least two families confirmed to have been displaced by the incident.
