Building housing 529 Bagels store, Ralph's Famous Italian Ices shop faces demolition, fire marshal says

The Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office said a building housing a Franklin Square bagel store and an Italian ice shop was damaged so extensively in a Sunday evening fire will have to be demolished.

The blaze broke out at 529 Franklin Ave., home to the 529 Bagels store and a Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices shop, around 5:18 p.m., said Nassau County Fire Marshal Assistant Chief Andrew G. Schmitt.

The building is a single-floor, 50-by-50-foot structure on the corner of Third and Franklin avenues, Schmitt said.

In an email correspondence Monday, Schmitt said investigators — including fire marshals and detectives from the Nassau County Police Department Arson / Bomb Squad — have not determined the cause of the blaze.

But, Schmitt wrote the damage was so significant that "as of [Sunday] night the building will be demolished."

A spokesman for the Town of Hempstead said inspectors were on the scene Monday assessing the building's condition. Hempstead will make the final determination whether to demolish the building.

The owners of the two affected businesses could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.

Schmitt said about 200 firefighters from Franklin Square, Garden City, West Hempstead, Valley Stream, Malverne, Lakeview, Garden City Park, Stewart Manor, Floral Park, Elmont, Uniondale, Lynbrook, Mineola, Inwood and East Meadow responded to the scene.

Firefighters employed four tower ladders and multiple hoses on the ground to quench the blaze.

No one was in the businesses when it broke out, Schmitt said.

One firefighter suffered smoke inhalation but was not seriously injured, according to Nassau County police. That firefighter was treated at the scene.

Officials said neighboring businesses were also damaged in the blaze. The extent of that damage also was not immediately clear Monday.

The fire was sparked in the basement and the building was still fully engulfed in flames three hours later, according to Schmitt. Just before 10 p.m. Sunday, Schmitt said the fire was under control and departments were packing up and returning to service.

Newsday's John Valenti contributed to this report.