Fire damages Huntington restaurant

A fire broke out near a cafe in Huntington Village early Sunday, causing the evacuation of more than a dozen people, fire officials said.

The blaze started at around 4:30 a.m. in a space between two buildings on Wall Street, according to the Huntington Fire Department. Chief Robert Berry said the fire appeared to have started in garbage that had been left in the space.

From there, he said, it spread into the basement of 23 Wall St., the location of Cafe Buenos Aires, and up a wall.

About 15 residents in the apartments above the cafe were evacuated, the department said.

There was fire damage in the cafe basement and in the restaurant itself. The Dunkin' Donuts shop next door sustained smoke damage, fire officials said.

Berry said the fire took about a half-hour to contain. About 50 firefighters, including some from Cold Spring Harbor, worked at the scene, according to the Huntington department.

Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire, Berry said.

The fire is one of several at Huntington Village businesses this year. In May, the Black and Blue Seafood Chophouse, also on Wall Street, and Osaka Sushi on Main Street, had fires, while in March, several stores on New York Avenue also burned.