UNIONPORT — Two firefighters were injured when a fire broke out in a vacant Unionport apartment building Monday morning, officials said.
Flames erupted at 1216 Olmstead Ave., near Ellis Avenue, about 5:36 a.m. and tore through three floors of the building including a shuttered deli on the ground floor, an FDNY spokesman said.
Neighbors worried the flames would spread to nearby buildings.
"I was scared. The flames were going up and then because of the wind I was scared it could pass to this building," said Juan Lapaix, a neighbor.
Two firefighters were treated for minor injuries at Jacobi Medical Center, the spokesman said.
Fire tore through a deli in Unionport Monday. (DNAinfo/John Santore)
About 138 firefighters helped bring the blaze under control by 7:15 a.m., FDNY officials said.
The fire may be linked to an electrical box on the first floor, but fire marshals have yet to officially determine what sparked the blaze.
The building had stood on the corner for generations, according to neighbors who were saddened to see it devastated.
"It's a shame. I hope it gets rebuilt. This is a piece of my childhood too," said Pete Doherty, a neighbor.