VALLEY STREAM, Lengthy Island (WABC) — Greater than 20 pet birds and different animals had been killed in a fireplace that broke out at a barbershop in Valley Stream on Tuesday night.
Based on detectives, officers responded to Ben & Tony’s Barbershop on West Merrick Highway round 9 p.m. for stories of a hearth. Once they arrived, heavy smoke and flames had been coming from the constructing.
The proprietor of the constructing misplaced his enterprise and a few 20 birds he had raised.
The barbershop had been round for 77 years and was one of many first in Valley Stream.
Hearth officers additionally mentioned there was a fish tank and attainable turtles that died within the hearth.
“Sadly whereas we had been doing our searches, we got here throughout animals within the first ground and the basement which sadly didn’t make it,” mentioned Valley Stream Hearth Dept. Chief Anthony Capone.
The proprietor spoke concerning the heartbreaking loss.
“I rushed to the store as quick as I might to avoid wasting at the very least the birds,” he mentioned. “It is unhappy to see the animals being helpless.”
He mentioned he has saved the birds as pets in his store for a number of years, together with two 5-month-old Quakers and 18 parakeets.
Gabriela Parish, who owns a hair salon two doorways down, mentioned she additionally misplaced her store in a fireplace on the similar strip mall 10 years in the past.
“I really feel dangerous, I really feel very dangerous, I went via with that and what are you able to do,” Parish mentioned.
A neighboring restaurant which was planning to open its doorways and in style shoe restore store had been pressured to shut on account of heavy smoke injury.
No accidents had been reported and the hearth was deemed non-suspicious.
The trigger was decided to be electrical.
The proprietor mentioned he hopes to rebuild his retailer.
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