Birds, other pets killed; businesses destroyed in Long Island fire
Twenty birds and other pets were killed and several businesses were destroyed in a fire on Long Island Tuesday evening.
The fire broke out around 9 p.m. on West Merrick Road in Valley Stream, first igniting at Ben & Tony’s Hair Salon before spreading to nearby businesses, according to the Valley Stream Fire Department.
It took around 45 minutes for 50 firefighters, faced with thick smoke and flames, to bring the fire under control.
Despite the efforts, which also included teams from Elmont and Lawrence-Cedarhurst, the barbershop remained in ruins. Two neighboring businesses – a shoe repair shop and Junior’s Juice Bar & Jerk Pit – also suffered heavy damage.
Photos of the aftermath showed the burned interior of the hair salon. Videos taken Wednesday morning showed the storefront boarded up, while windows were broken and merchandise tossed into neighboring stores.
No human injuries were reported, but Nassau County police said about 20 birds, an unknown number of fish and possibly turtles belonging to the occupants were killed.
“I jumped in a car and left as quickly as I could,” Ben Karshigiyev, who has owned the barbershop for 22 years, told News 12 Long Island. “I wanted to save my birds. I had parakeets, parrots here. Unfortunately, I lost them all.”
The Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office and the Nassau Police Department of Fire and Bomb Squad are investigating the incident, but have so far said the fire does not appear suspicious.
