Nesconset FD-Fire at the Smithhaven Mall

January 28, 1983 Between 2500-3000 people were evacuated from the Smith Haven Mall this afternoon as a rooftop fire burned through an open space above a card shop, filling the halls with dense smoke.

Structural damage was apparently minimal and officials reported one minor injury to a firefighter that slipped off a ladder. The cause of the fire has not been determined. The evacuation was the first in the mall’s 14 year history. Although the major stores at the ends of the mall wings remained open, doorways leading to the mall were blocked.

The blaze broke out shortly after noon above the Hallmark Card and Party Shop on the west concourse near the A&S store, said Nesconset Fire Chief Ross Huffer. The flames were extinguished quickly, Huffer said but 200 volunteers from 10 Suffolk fire departments were called in to help clear the smoke.
When we got there, I don’t think you could see ten feet in front of you, Huffer said.

As the smoke poured out of the centers three major department stores, A&S, Macys and Sears closed off their entrances to the mall but remained open. The walkways to the 130 smaller shops were reopened at 2PM. There were workmen on the roof completing repairs at the time of the fire said Abe Zitren, General Manager of the Smith Haven Mall Management Company.

With only one exception, the evacuation was completed without incident. At the Docktor Pet Center, around the corner from the card store, employees rushed to pack up about 40 dogs and cats and carry them to the parking lot said assistant manager Pat Byriter. She said they reluctantly left behind 200 or so gerbils, rabbits, hamsters, mice and birds-excluding a blue and gold macaw and two cockatoos, each worth $850.00, which were placed in the back of the shop with wet towels over their cages. We didnt want to leave the animals behind but we had no choice, said Byriter. They seem to be alright though.

Dave Kotliar and his brother Howard, who manage the family owned card store, spent the afternoon cleaning up. They could not estimate the the value of the merchandise, mostly Valentines Day cards and boxed candy, damaged by water. We’re really more concerned about the lost business, Dave Kotliar said.

Smithtown News 2-3-1983