Cleanup continues after Queens flower stand fire spreads to Foodtown supermarket

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Cleanup efforts are underway in Jackson Heights after a fire at a flower stand spread to a nearby supermarket, PIX 11 New York.
 

On Wednesday morning, flames and thick black smoke erupted from a flower stand at the corner of 76th Street and 37th Avenue. The flower shop is connected to the Foodtown supermarket, where the fire quickly spread.
 

Eddy Fernandez, one of the supermarket's managers, described the chaos: “There was a fire in the flower shop in the front, and it started coming into the store. We had smoke coming in, so we were shocked.”
 

Fortunately, the store had only been open for about 30 minutes and was mostly empty at the time. Fernandez added, “People didn’t want to leave. They wanted to help, but we said no, you guys gotta leave.”
 

The FDNY responded with 60 personnel and brought the fire under control within an hour. While workers at the flower stand declined to comment, they spent the afternoon clearing out the space.
 

The supermarket was able to reopen quickly, though customers noticed minor damage inside.
 

Eileen Pentel commented, “They cleared a passage through, and I was wondering what it was.” Gloria Velasquez added, “Kinda scary, but it can happen anywhere. Thank God nothing serious happened.”
 

The Fire Marshal is currently investigating the cause of the fire.