Macy's at Smith Haven Mall still closed after Friday fire
Firefighters vent smoke after a fire broke out Friday morning at the loading dock of the Macy's store at Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove. Credit: Joseph Sperber
Macy's at Smith Haven Mall remained closed Saturday from a fire at the store's loading dock on Friday morning. A Macy's employee Saturday afternoon told customers the store might reopen Sunday.
The rest of the mall was able to open for business, officials said.
Firefighters got a call shortly after 7 a.m. Friday that there was heavy smoke coming from the loading dock, said Andrew J. Brofman, chief fire marshal for the village of Lake Grove, where the mall is located.
Firefighters from Hauppauge, Nesconset, St. James, Stony Brook, Centereach and Smithtown responded and were able to put out the fire within about 10 minutes, Brofman said, adding that there were about 40 employees in the store at the time and there were no injuries. The store's sprinklers went off, he said.
The smoke enveloped three floors and a portion of the corridor leading to the mall, Brofman said. "It's like walking in a fog," he said. It took more than an hour to vent the smoke, he said.
Brofman said fire officials noted several violations but will do a full inspection to determine what they are as well as the cause of the fire.
Macy's officials said they were working to resume normal business operations.
With Robert Brodsky and Joe Werkmeister
