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Blaze Breaks Out in Basement of Second Avenue Building

By Tom Liddy | June 17, 2011 5:03pm | Updated on June 17, 2011 2:15pm

By Andrea Swalec and Tom Liddy

DNAinfo Staff

MANHATTAN - A roaring blaze ripped through the basement of an Upper East Side building Friday afternoon, officials said.

The two-alarm fire at 1560 Second Ave., near 81st Street, broke out at around 4:30 p.m. beneath the Hungarian Meat Market, a neighborhood institution that has been around for decades.

"Fire is spreading.. So many fire trucks," tweeted @RoverNYC.

Several blocks of Second Avenue in the Hungarian enclave were cordoned off while firefighters fought the flames.

"We didn't know what happened," said an employee of the market, who did not give her name. "We just called the fire department. We saw the smoke in the roof and everywhere."

No customers were in the store, which was open. The extent of the damage in the store was not clear.

Firefighters respond to a blaze at 1560 Second Ave., near 81st Street Friday afternoon.
Firefighters respond to a blaze at 1560 Second Ave., near 81st Street Friday afternoon.
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DNAinfo/Andrea Swalec

Isabelle Glaser, 46, whol lives around the block said of the store's owners: "They are very nice, caring people and they always give a little something to the kids."

And Roman Sadykov, who works at Elite Cleaners next door, said that there was some smoke damage at his shop.

No injuries were immediately reported.