Owner vows to rebuild after raging fire rips through commercial laundromat in Long Island City, Queens
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NEW YORK -- A massive fire destroyed a commercial laundromat overnight in Long Island City, Queens and sent thick smoke billowing into the sky for miles.
Fortunately, no one was working at the time. But as CBS2's John Dias reports, it took a Korean immigrant four decades to build the business.
The early-morning fire proved to be stubborn but not impossible for the FDNY to get under control.
"We made entry, heavy fire conditions. We had to retreat, go to an exterior operation," FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Chuck Downey told reporters on the scene.
The operation took all morning -- nearly six hours and 200 people on scene working together by the corner of 47th Avenue and 30th Street. At times, five tower ladders were dousing it with water.
Two firefighters suffered minor injuries in the first hour.
By the time the sun rose, we saw the damage and knew the fate the business owner now faces.
"I lost my mind," Clean NY Cleaners owner Insun Yun told Dias. "I'm so sad."
Yun lost his entire commercial laundromat in the four-alarm fire. He immigrated here from Korea 40 years ago to start it.
"All my dry cleaning equipment, and the customers' clothes, and my dream also burnt down," he said.
The flames lasted for hours, but the heartbreak left behind won't be forever. Yun plans to rebuild.
"What are we going to do? We're going to start again. It's still America... I'm going to start again, like 40 years ago," he vowed.
In the meantime, he said he will work to help his 35 employees, who are now jobless, yet optimistic.
"Where are you going to work?" Dias asked one employee.
"I'll get another job," they replied.
"In life, you have to be ready for everything," said Luis Lema. "You can live today. Tomorrow, you don't know."
The owner said he does have insurance, but isn't sure how much it will cover.
He added what matters the most is that everyone walked away with their lives.
"My dream also burnt down"
CBS2's John Dias spoke with the laundromat owner, who said he was devastated by vowed to rebuild.
The owner said he immigrated here from Korea 40 years ago to open the business.
"All of my dry cleaning equipment, and the customers' clothes, and my dream also burnt down," Insua Yun told Dias. "What are we going to do? We're going to start again. It's still America... I'm going to start again, like 40 years ago."
He said he's now trying to track down jobs for his 35 employees. Many said they can't afford to go long without getting paid.
The owner said he does have insurance, but isn't sure how much it will cover.
He added what matters the most is that everyone walked away with their lives, so things could have been much worse.
2 firefighters injured
The FDNY says two firefighters suffered minor injuries battling the blaze.
"They were met with heavy fire conditions throughout, advanced fire on arrival. We made entry, heavy fire conditions. We had to retreat, go to an exterior operation," said FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Chuck Downey.
Crews finally have the flames under control and now are working to put out hot spots.
Chopper 2 overhead
Still active scene
The fire broke out around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday inside a factory at 47th Avenue and 29th Street.
As CBS2's John Dias reports, officials are keeping reporters away from the scene, fearing there may be propane tanks in the area that could blow up.
At least one firefighter has suffered minor injuries. So far, no civilians have been hurt.
Approximately 140 firefighters and EMS personnel are on the scene, working to extinguish the blaze. Then, crews will have to determine the cause.
