3-alarm fire damages Jordan Lobster Farms restaurant, longtime Island Park fixture

Jordan Lobster Farms, a waterfront restaurant and staple for generations of seafood lovers in Island Park, was buzzing with customers Saturday evening for the seasonal rush when they were asked to evacuate.

A three-alarm fire broke out at 6:48 p.m. inside the 51-year-old family-owned eatery, known for allowing customers to pick their own jumbo lobsters, according to fire officials and Newsday archives.

"We were running around looking like crazy, where it was already in between the walls, and then it just started to spread," said Stephen Jordan, the restaurant's owner, describing the moments after the first signs of the fire.

Customers, none of whom were hurt, were evacuated, staff said.

It took roughly 150 firefighters, led by the Island Park Fire Department and assisted by the Long Beach, East Rockaway and several other departments, more than 70 minutes to subdue the blaze, Nassau County Assistant Chief Fire Marshal Bohdan Pilczak said in a news release.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation late Sunday, though "it is considered accidental and not suspicious," Pilczak said in an email to Newsday.

Fire officials said there was "extensive damage to the roof" from both the fire and efforts to contain it.

Jordan said an office was destroyed, but the store "is OK." On Sunday, a cardboard box reading "Closed. Do Not Enter" sat outside the business. Property restoration service trucks idled outside. A few potential customers were turned away.

The Hempstead Town Building Department was brought in to assess the building's structural integrity and determine the repairs needed before customers can return.

Jordan said he hopes to reopen a portion of the establishment within a week to help out his 40-50 employees. The business has started an online fundraising effort to support its staff.

"I just want to take care of them," he said outside the restaurant.