Results tagged “westchestersquare”

A man was arrested for starting a fire in March that tore through six local businesses and caused an estimated $2 million in property damage. 40-year-old William Crean of the Bronx has been charged with 2nd degree arson and reckless endangerment for the March 22nd fire in Westchester Square. He could face up to 25 years if convicted. The three-alarm blaze required 33 FDNY units and 140 firefighters and took three hours to control.

A three-alarm fire in the Bronx this morning took down nearly a dozen businesses. The blaze began inside Tavern on the Creek Bar in Westchester Square around 6 a.m. when it's believed that faulty electrical wires caught on fire. It rapidly spread through the ceiling to nearby businesses Square Flower Shop and National Coffee Shop among others. The owner of National, Mike Andreo, said, "They come, the fire department, they take everybody out, he told me, I say the fire is there, he told me kiss your store goodbye, I almost get a heart attack...I cry! What am I going to do!" The blaze took over 150 firefighters to put it out and FDNY said the lack of any serious injuries was incredibly fortunate (one firefighter did suffer minor injuries). Local City Councilman James Vacca pledged to help the businesses get back on their feet saying, "In this economy, we cannot afford to let them fail."