8 JUNE 29, 2017 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Stores destroyed in massive Glendale inferno
Heavy smoke fi lled the air near a four-alarm fi re on Myrtle Avenue near 72nd Street in
Glendale on June 24.
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
RPOZARYCKI@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@ROBBPOZ
Fire marshals are continuing to
investigate the cause of a fi vealarm
inferno that destroyed
two businesses in Glendale on Saturday
night.
According to the Fire Department,
the blaze ignited at about 9:20 p.m. on
June 24 inside the roof of the Farmers
Market at 72-10 Myrtle Ave. near 72nd
Street.
Within an hour, the fire spread
throughout the structure to an adjoining
building, fi lling the air with
acrid smoke.
Anthony Giudice/QNS
Scores of fi refi ghters rushed on the
scene along with the 104th Precinct. The
104th Precinct Civilian Observation Patrol
also responded and assisted police
by controlling traffi c and preventing
people from entering the fi re zone.
Eleven firefighters and one other
person reportedly suffered injuries
while battling the inferno, according
to NBC New York; none of the
injuries are life-threatening. Two
families living above the stores were
displaced.
The blaze was finally brought
under control just after 1 a.m. on
June 25.
Glendale supports families who lost everything in blaze
BY ANTHONY GIUDICE
AGIUDICE@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@A_GIUDICEREPORT
The fi ve-alarm fi re in Glendale
that raged through the night
of Saturday, June 24, and into
early the next morning destroyed
not only the Farmers Market grocery
store, but also two apartment units
above it, leaving the residents there
with virtually nothing.
Now, members of the Glendale
community are banding together to
help the Habib and Vasile families
who were able to escape their apartments
above the store on Myrtle
Avenue near 72nd Street with no
injuries, but lost everything they
owned in the fi re.
A GoFundMe page was quickly
set up in the aft ermath of the blaze
to help both the Habib and Vasile
families regain some of the things
that were lost.
The Habib family has two young
girls, while the Vasile family has a
young boy and a young girl. All four
children are under the age of 10.
“The families have been displaced
from their homes and lost all valuables
including furniture, appliances,
clothing, and children’s belongings
that were all lost in the fi re,” said
Sanela Selmanovic, who created the
GoFundMe page.
According to the GoFundMe campaign,
the Albanian American Islamic
Center of Queens (AAIC) owns the
property that was aff ected. Neither
family had renters insurance, so they
have no immediate access to relief.
The AAIC is working to raise money
to help the families in their recovery.
As of Monday, June 26 — a mere 13
hours aft er the donation page was
set up — $1,150 of the $12,000 goal
has already been reached thanks to
19 generous donors.
“We appreciate any help we can get
with this campaign,” Selmanovic said
in the campaign. “We set the goal at
$12,000 and are hoping to support
each other and make a diff erence in
the lives of people who could really
use some help at the moment.”
All the proceeds from the campaign
will go directly to helping the
Habib and Vasile families.
If anyone is interested in making
clothing, food or healthcare
product donations, Selmanovic
requests that they reach out to
her through the GoFundMe page
here: https://www.gofundme.com/
fi re-takes-all-from-two-families.
The Queens Chamber of Commerce
is looking to help the businesses
that were aff ected by the
blaze, the Farmers Market Deli and
Grocery and Metropolitan Restaurant
Equipment. Local businesses
across Glendale are also acting as
drop-off locations for clothing and
other types of donations for the
Habib and Vasile families.
Photo courtesy of Alison Duignan
The aftermath of the fi ve-alarm fi re that destroyed the apartments of
two families.
Photo courtesy of Sonia Pereira
The charred remains of the Farmers Market in
Glendale, as shown on June 25.
