Uniondale bar seriously damaged in fire, officials say

Firefighters from 20 departments battled an aggressive fire that heavily damaged a closed bar on Uniondale Avenue in Uniondale Thursday, Nassau County fire officials said.

Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office Division Supervisor James Hickman said the blaze was reported at 5:26 a.m. and said that on arrival first responders found the single-story building "heavily involved." Led by the Uniondale Fire Department, Hickman said firefighters made "an aggressive attack" on the blaze and were able to contain most of the damage to the bar.

The bar is part of a series of row stores.

The bar was unoccupied at the time and Hickman said an investigation has focused on a loft space. Because of the location of the fire, Hickman said ultimately it led to a partial collapse of the roof.

The fire took two hours to bring under control and led to the closure of Uniondale Avenue in the area for hours due to access issues for firefighters, Hickman said.

Three firefighters suffered minor injuries, Hickman said, and were treated at the scene.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”