BY ETHAN MARSHALL
The fire that destroyed Bagel Express in Williston Park has been deemed accidental by the Williston Park Fire Department.
According to Nassau County Assistant Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro, the exact cause of the fire in a nearby van that eventually spread to Bagel Express has yet to be determined.
Uttaro said it has been ruled out that it was intentionally caused by someone. According to Uttaro, the fire department is responsible for “making sure it’s not a suspicious fire.”
In this instance, “this is just an accidental fire that began in the engine department of the van,” Uttaro said. “There was nothing malicious and nothing suspicious.”
While the fire ended up burning down 61 Hillside Ave. where Bagel Express was located, the fire department did a fine job in minimizing damage to the neighboring buildings, he said.
Uttaro said there was some slight smoke damage to Weigand Brothers Funeral Home next door, but firefighters made entry into the building and prevented the fire from spreading there.
After a 911 call was made reporting the fire on Sunday at 6:02 a.m, the fire was put out approximately two hours later.
Uttaro said it’s likely that the fire had started shortly before the call was made, as it had yet to spread to the building at the time. It didn’t take long for the fire to spread from the van to the wooden structure at the rear of Bagel Express, then inside the building.
Gasoline in the van and the wooden structure literally added fuel to the fire.
Though the entire building was subsequently burned down, the fire department was quick to act and kept the fire from spreading to any neighboring buildings.
Only one firefighter was hurt while putting out the fire, going to a nearby hospital with a minor shoulder injury before being discharged shortly after.
While Uttaro couldn’t say exactly how long Bagel Express had been around on 61 Hillside Ave., he estimated it stood there for at least 20-25 years. It was a popular locale for Williston Park residents.
