Malverne firefighters helped extinguish a blaze at IHOP in Valley Stream Saturday morning, but not before significant damage had been done to the popular breakfast spot.
The call came into the station around 6:30am on Dec. 8, at which point Chief Danny Morgan, Assistant Chief Scott Edwards and eight other firefighters from the village responded to the scene with a tower ladder.
"The fire was already through the roof when we got there," Chief Morgan told Patch. His unit fought alongside firefighters from Valley Stream, Lynbrook and Elmont to put out the blaze.
"We set up right away...and started fighting the fire," Morgan said. "Elmont's engine fed us water to our tower ladder."
Approximately 75 volunteer firefighters worked together to bring the fire down. Malverne responders didn't leave until 9:15am - nearly three hours after they arrived to the scene.
IHOP was not open at the time and no injuries were reported, but police said the damage to the restaurant is "extensive."
Police said an employee turned on the cooking grills just before 6:30 a.m., and noted smoke was seen coming from the grills. Firefighters were called soon after that, but by the time units arrived to extinguish the fire, flames had already engulfed the restaurant.
Police closed Sunrise Highway's eastbound lanes at Scranton Avenue for about two hours. An investigation into the fire is ongoing, but the fire has been deemed non-suspicious at this time, according to police.
