The FDNY has released a report detailing the cause of a massive fire that ripped through a number of storefronts on Queen Boulevard on Aug. 12 (FDNY via Twitter)
Dec. 13, 2021 By Michael Dorgan
The FDNY has released a report detailing the cause of a massive fire that ripped through a number of storefronts on Queens Boulevard in August.
The four-alarm fire took place at around 7:15 a.m. on Aug. 12 and engulfed five businesses located on the corner of Queens Boulevard and 44th Street. The storefronts include restaurants Mad for Chicken, Bajeko Sekuwa and Mad Cafe, as well as a Japanese market called Taiyo Foods and skincare salon Yeserith Esthetics.
The official incident report states that the blaze was caused by faulty electrical wiring inside Bajeko Sekuwa Himalayan Grill, located at 43-16 Queens Blvd. A preliminary investigation by the FDNY initially suggested that the fire erupted inside Taiyo Foods.
The fire, according to the final report, broke out above a drop ceiling to the rear of the Himalayan restaurant. The blaze then spread throughout the roof area and tore into the adjoining storefronts.
Several businesses remain closed– including Mad for Chicken, Bajeko Sekuwa and Mad Cafe–following a fire that took place on Queens Boulevard on Aug. 12 (Photo: Queens Post)
More than 200 fire and EMS personnel responded to the blaze, and the business owners along the strip were forced to vacate.
None of the storefronts have reopened, although the owners of Taiyo Foods have announced that they are relocating to 42-02 43rd Ave. and expect to be open before Christmas.
The operators of Bajeko Sekuwa could not be reached for comment.
Sunnyside Shines, a local business improvement district, created a GoFundMe hours after the blaze to support workers who lost income due to the fire. The fundraiser generated nearly $42,000, with more than 750 people contributing.
The blaze was the second major fire to tear through stores on Queens Boulevard in the past three years. A Dec. 13, 2018 fire decimated several businesses— including Sidetracks, Zen Yai, UPS, Romantic Depot and New York Style Eats. The storefronts have since been demolished.
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10 Comments
Mad Cafe was a great spot for the community. I really hope they reopen soon. That entire building was sold a few years, the fire seems VERY suspect and too much of a coincidence as they were planning on building up anyway.
It’s such a shane we have lost so many good restaurants. So detracts had just renovated, now they’re gone for good. We lost a good ribs place too.
Condo time! Attention developers: you know the drill! make sure they are plenty more 400 sq ft boxes, awful brick architecture, proper allocation of ‘affordable’ 2100/month studios and zero retail benefit to the community! Don’t forget to create some faux PR about how you care about the Sunnyside community so you can build 6 or 9 stories!
AOC says the fire didnt happen, not enough data! Psaki says covid did it. Biden is sleeping in Delaware. Harris, for some reason, is laughing uncontrollably at the FDNY report.
Weak minded gullible anankastic individuals should avoid cable news and the topic of what they’re tricked into believing is “politics”. For they’re being manipulated and weaponized. Early signs are a fixation on taking points ultimately manifesting and leading to actions like storming the Capitol and conveying threats.
Arson is the usual suspect. NYFD known to start their own fires.
All of you mindless idiots automatically blame greedy landlords. The owners of this restaurant took a short cut to save money and caused massive damage to peoples businesses and a neighborhood. This type of thing really hurts Sunnyside. The owners of that restaurant should be charged with a crime. Instead they will walk away and open another restaurant with faulty wiring somewhere else.
Why do you assume it’s the restaurant’s fault rather than the landlord’s? The report says the fire started inside the ceiling, inside the insulation. Isn’t that all the landlord’s responsibility? I don’t think too many renters are installing or messing with insulation.
Fires in Sunnyside always seem sketchy. How come it’s always single story storefronts? Starting from the Korean restaurant years ago.
Could it have been rodents chewing on the wires? Rats and mice are health hazards in more ways than one.