4-alarm fire rips through Central Islip strip mall, injures 6
A fast-moving blaze at Laundry Palace gutted a Central Islip strip mall, injured six people and drew about 300 firefighters to battle flames through the roof for hours.
Flames tore through a Central Islip strip mall on East Suffolk Avenue Friday, destroying several connected businesses, injuring six people and leaving a commercial block that neighbors relied on for everyday errands in ruins. The fire at Laundry Palace, 18 E Suffolk Ave., sent smoke and fire through the roof and triggered a partial collapse, forcing crews to fight the blaze from the outside as the entire row burned.
Suffolk County fire officials were notified around 2:15 p.m., and officials said the fire began about 2:30 p.m. inside the laundromat before racing through the adjoining stores. About 300 firefighters from roughly 40 departments responded, according to News 12, with mutual aid coming in from across Suffolk County as crews worked in sweltering heat. The fire took more than five hours to bring under control and was finally out just before 8 p.m.
Central Islip fire chief Joe Vereline said the buildings were old construction and that collapse conditions made the response more dangerous. He said the biggest challenges were “old construction” and the volume of fire, along with the instability of the damaged structure. At least five firefighters and one police officer suffered minor injuries during the operation.
The Suffolk County Police Arson Squad is now investigating what started the blaze. Officials have not publicly identified a cause, and the fire set off a major cleanup effort along the strip mall where the damage was heaviest. Newsday reported that firefighters from multiple departments battled the fire as it tore through several businesses on East Suffolk Avenue.
Laundry Palace had operated for 20 years and was more than just a laundromat for many customers. ABC7 New York reported that the business served as a neighborhood hub and at times offered free washing, drying, soap or bleach on certain days. Longtime customers also said the location included a small cell phone and electronics shop, along with tables, chairs, an ATM and games inside. For residents and business owners on East Suffolk Avenue, the loss meant more than burned storefronts: it wiped out jobs, income and a familiar place people depended on day to day.
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