Valley Stream fire destroys family-owned barber shop: "Such a sudden shock to us"

A fire on Easter damaged several businesses in Valley Stream on Long Island. 

The fire broke out along a row of businesses on Rockaway Avenue at around 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Three people, including a firefighter, suffered minor injuries. 

The Valley Stream Fire Department said it arrived to find fire on the first floor. It quickly spread to the apartments above and the store next to it. 

"It's very, very hard" 

Mr. D Cut Barber Shop is one of the businesses that was damaged. It's owned by Jesenia Garcia's husband. 

"It's very, very hard," she said. "For this to have happened to us is such a sudden shock to us. We didn't expect it. This is everything to us. This really was." 

Garcia said she received a call and rushed to the shop. Firefighters were working to put out the fire. 

"It was closed. We had our cleaning crew that were here, so I guess they smelled a little bit of smoke, and came out just in time," she said. "That's the important thing." 

A pizza shop and upholstery store also were impacted. 

"All we ask is for your prayers"

"They think maybe it was something electrical, probably, in the back. So they're still doing more further investigation to see what's going on. But it's a complete, total loss for all of us," Garcia said. 

The barber shop has been a family-owned business there for the past 15 years. 

"We're trying to stay as hopeful as possible and pretty much start from the ground up," Garcia said. "All we ask for is for your prayers, for everybody's prayers, and support and love, moreso than anything. That will mean more to us than anything." 

The Nassau County fire marshal investigators were on the scene and are working to determine the cause of the fire.