Officials: Fire rips through Rockville Centre automotive shop
Officials say the fire did not spread to any other nearby building and there were no injuries.
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A fire tore through a Rockville Centre automotive shop Tuesday afternoon, officials say.
Seven fire departments and 60 firefighters were called in at around 1 p.m. to battle the blaze at K&K Auto & Tire Center.
Officials say the fire did not spread to any other nearby buildings, and there were no injuries. Crews were able to get the fire under control in an hour.
Boris Flores says he first smelled and saw smoke blow down North Long Beach Road while he worked at Parmagianni in Rockville Center.
"And then all of a sudden, I see everyone running and I see him running and opening the door and he's like, 'The shop next door is, there's fire everywhere.' And that's when I was like, 'Everyone just get out,'" said Flores.
Larry Ulip brought his truck in for service and it was in one of the bays when the fire started.
His truck was destroyed in the fire.
"It's a leased truck. I mean, it'll go back or whatever. The insurance will cover it. And I'll have to move on from that,” he said. “As long as nobody was hurt, that's the most important thing."
Joan Rodziewicz, of Rockville Centre, says she picked up her car from the business less than 30 minutes before the fire broke out.
"It's unbelievable - I'm just glad all the mechanics and everybody are OK," Rodziewicz says. "A building you can replace, but a life you can't...."
Several people told News 12 they’re heartbroken to see what happened to the beloved business.
News 12 saw Nassau County hazmat and the DEC on scene in the afternoon as they responded to an oil spill at the auto shop.
An official cause of the fire is under investigation.
