A fire ripped through an electronics store at 943 Myrtle Avenue Saturday night, spreading to neighboring businesses. The blaze erupted around 8:30 p.m. at Sky Blue Wireless cell phone store, quickly engulfing the first floor and sending thick smoke billowing into the night sky.
Firefighters battled the inferno for hours, evacuating residents and businesses as they worked to contain the flames. Two individuals were treated for minor injuries, but the damage to the affected businesses is extensive.
La Lupe and Indika House, both popular dining destinations on the block, sustained damage and are now facing an uncertain future.
Bushwick Daily spoke with Karla Munoz, owner of La Lupe, detailed the night’s events. “The fire started around 8:30 p.m. at the cellphone store. Firefighters arrived and evacuated everyone in the area and broke through the ceiling [of La Lupe] to fight the fire. Breaking through the ceiling caused water to enter the basement, where food prep takes place. Although the upstairs area of the restaurant was not damaged by the fire.”
Munoz, currently in Ecuador caring for her mother, expressed concern for her sister who is left to deal with the aftermath. “[…] my poor sister has to deal with this mess by herself.”
Munoz told Bushwick Daily, a professional company has already cleaned the restaurant to remove toxic fumes and smoke, however, the gas was shut off and they don’t know when it will be turned back on.
“We have been working non-stop hoping to open tomorrow or the next day, we can not afford to be closed, our employees need the jobs.”
If you would like to support the La Lupe employees directly, you can Venmo the owner Karla Munoz at @kjmm75. Any funds received will go directly to helping support her staff of La Lupe who are out of work due to this fire.
Bushwick Daily is sponsoring a general GoFundMe to support the employees of La Lupe and Indika House during this difficult time. All funds raised will be split equally between the two restaurants to support employees.
And when the restaurants do open back up, be sure to support by dining there.
This incident marks the second major fire on Myrtle Avenue in recent months. In September, a fire across the street from the cell phone store destroyed a bodega and the video went viral on tik-tok.
Spread the word about the fire and the need for support by sharing this article on social media.
Bushwick Daily publishes original articles every weekday, so check back frequently for more updates on this developing story. If you have any information regarding this event, you can email Bushwick Daily at [email protected]. You can also follow Bushwick Daily on social media for updates on this story and others.
Cover image courtesy of X User @cortadoedisn
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