Fire Rips Through Two Buildings On Metropolitan Avenue

A fire that started in the kitchen of a Chinese restaurant on Metropolitan Avenue quickly set the top two floors of two neighboring buildings ablaze, fire officials said Thursday afternoon.

The blaze, which started just after 12 a.m. Wednesday morning, lasted 45 minutes, with fire crews responding to the scene in just over four minutes. Fire officials said the last of the fire was completely extinguished at 12:48 a.m.

Even hours after the last of the flames had been knocked down, the smell of smoke and burning wood and plastic still hung in the air.

Dozens of black bags filled with smoke-damaged refuse from inside the building were piled up, blocking a portion of the sidewalk.

The damage to the building was clearly extensive, with much of the facades of the two affected buildings boarded up and windows and doors torn out less than 12 hours after the incident.

Fire marshals are still investigating the cause of the fire, which caused the city to place a vacate notice on the entrance of the two-story building at 98-14 Metropolitan Avenue.

One member of the responding fire crew was taken to with a minor injury. No one else was hurt in the incident.