Fire at Laundromat on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights

By on March 11, 2010 9:02 am in Brooklyn Heights
photo by David Ly

photo by David Ly

FDNY has responded to a fire at the laundromat at 78 Montague Street. BHB tipster David Ly sent in this photo.  DEVELOPING.

42 Responses to Fire at Laundromat on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights

  1. Jessica March 11, 2010 at 9:14 am #

    Is this why there are helicopters hovering noisily over the heights?

  2. eileen March 11, 2010 at 9:14 am #

    What’s with the helicopters – is this part of the response to the fire?

  3. nelson March 11, 2010 at 9:14 am #

    Yes, and our liquor store is gone as well….now I can live without the laundromat…but

  4. Jessica March 11, 2010 at 9:17 am #

    the helicopters are gone now – I think they might have been there for the earlier fire at 192 Concord.

  5. ratNYC March 11, 2010 at 9:18 am #

    Not the liquor Store!!!!!

  6. bhb March 11, 2010 at 9:21 am #

    ugh. the smoke smell is gross. how bad was the fire?

  7. Bob March 11, 2010 at 9:27 am #

    Funny, there are a huge number of NY Bravest in the Liquor Store. Just a couple in the laundromat. (Seriously, they can’t pay these guys enough for what they do. It’s dangerous, smelly, dirty and brutal work. Thanks to our local firehouses for keeping us safe).

  8. Victor March 11, 2010 at 9:30 am #

    Wait…the wine store is gone too? Nooooooooooooooo.

  9. Drew March 11, 2010 at 9:34 am #

    Any word on whether the dry cleaner on that block was affected? If so, any idea on what type of insurance a dry cleaner must carry?

  10. Norman E-Mailer March 11, 2010 at 9:46 am #

    I believe it’s the organic joint next to Teresa’s, right?

  11. ratNYC March 11, 2010 at 9:51 am #

    From the picture I think the Organic Cleaner’s is safe, since it is located next to Theresa’s opposite side of the fire. Or so I wish because I have a bunch of shirts there which I dropped off in a rush without getting a receipt…

  12. jay March 11, 2010 at 9:59 am #

    this breaks my heart. both of those businesses are great neighbors and are run by fantastic people.

    also, did i see bjork out there this morning with her dog looking at the fire?

  13. Pierrepont March 11, 2010 at 10:01 am #

    If true, the loss of the wine shop would be a real blow. The staff are great guys, and the prices fair. In fact, it may be my favorite retail establishment in the neighborhood. Terrible news!

  14. bam March 11, 2010 at 10:02 am #

    I live at 68 Montague. Is that building okay?

  16. Nelson March 11, 2010 at 10:08 am #

    Only the Liquor Store and Laundromat are gone….all else seems fine on the block.

  17. Victor March 11, 2010 at 10:12 am #

    Wow. I hope both can re-open as soon as possible. Especially the Montague Wine & Spirits. The guys who work there were aweseom…and I always preferred them to Michael Towne…

  18. thepol March 11, 2010 at 10:19 am #

    This was right next to Theresa’s right? Did that get hit?

    Also, I’m guessing no one got hurt?

  19. David March 11, 2010 at 10:23 am #

    We saw the entire ordeal from our apt on Hicks and Montague. The fire started in the laundrymat a little before 8:30am and spread quickly to the wine&spirits shop – there was a lot of smoke. Luckily nobody was hurt, but both places were pretty damaged, and I image DWR and the organic laundrymat were affected by water & smoke.

  20. CKM March 11, 2010 at 10:34 am #

    This is so sad, the people that worked in both of those spots are such great neighbors! I’m sure our laundry is gone but we feel terribly for the loss to both businesses. Two of the few non-chain stores left on Montague!

  21. AEB March 11, 2010 at 10:38 am #

    This is the second Montague St. laundromat to have a fire. Sorry for all concerned, which is the entire nabe.

  23. Karl Junkersfeld March 11, 2010 at 11:10 am #

    Here is some video i took after the fact:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXiL1_BZC1g

  24. cat March 11, 2010 at 11:18 am #

    Both the laundromat and the wine shop are now roofless. The laundromat looks gutted, and the wine store not much better. I feel so bad for the people who owned these businesses. What a shame for them and the neighborhood.

  25. joann March 11, 2010 at 11:18 am #

    Is there another laundromat in the area?

  27. joann March 11, 2010 at 12:25 pm #

    thanks AEB…was getting desperate

  28. Eileen March 11, 2010 at 12:48 pm #

    thanks, too, for the laundromat info. I feel badly for the good people at the laundry and the liquor store; will miss them. Right now, I am trying to recall what is in the laundry I dropped off.

  29. David March 11, 2010 at 12:59 pm #

    Eileen: I saw one of the guys run down Hicks St with a cart full laundry bags so maybe they were able to save some clothes. I feel really bad for the wine shop – i don’t think it was even open at the time. I guess we’ll have to go to the Clark St. wine shop now…

  30. melanie hope greenberg March 11, 2010 at 1:29 pm #

    My heart goes out to those who had to wake up today to their store’s destruction. I hardly drink, so I was not a patron of the liquor store. However, I do my laundry at 78 Montague St for over 30 years. (wrote a book about this store). I am shocked and saddened by the loss. Especially for Sherry, the owner, and her husband, two very young children, and her relatives who worked there and various other workers. They busted butt every day, 7 days a week cleaning our clothes. These are hard working folks and community members.

  31. CS March 11, 2010 at 1:50 pm #

    What an incredible neighborhood, Brooklyn Heights. The construction workers are busy reconstructing both business, laundry and liquor store. I think soon they will both be back in business. I saw the fire and now the reconstruction from my building on Montague St.

  32. AK March 11, 2010 at 2:35 pm #

    It was an electrical fire that started in the laundromat. The wine store’s damage is from the smoke. They didn’t give me an exact time for re-opening but they stated it would be soon. Hope this isn’t too costly.

  33. The Where March 11, 2010 at 3:00 pm #

    How much booze did Ali baba and the40 thieves take home?

  34. cat March 11, 2010 at 3:48 pm #

    CS–I think the construction workers are boarding up and maybe putting a roof over the stores now. I would think there’s some inventory, clean up and insurance issues that need to be resolved before true reconstruction can begin.

  35. John Kirsch March 11, 2010 at 8:17 pm #

    Both places were great and I hope they come back. Holding off any judgment per the landlord situation. It should not however be another empty storefront though.

  36. since47 March 11, 2010 at 9:14 pm #

    The Brooklyn Paper is reporting that the fire began at the liquor store and spread to the laundromat.

    http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/33/12/33_12_ac_monty_fire.html

    It’s a real loss, and I sincerely hope that both of these businesses re-open.

  37. cascascas March 11, 2010 at 10:55 pm #

    Anyone know if any laundry is salvagable? This is hard to believe – two laundrys burning down in the space of a year! I had a batch of laundry in the laundromat next the hardware store that narrowly escaped the fire last year. I have a feeling I won’t be so lucky this time ;-(

  38. Eileen March 12, 2010 at 7:40 am #

    Thanks, David. Cascasas, David noted earlier that he saw one of the guys run down Hicks St with a cart full laundry bags so maybe they were able to save some clothes.

  39. ilikebrooklyn March 12, 2010 at 8:15 am #

    Thank Gd the wine and liquor didn’t explode.

  40. Joe March 12, 2010 at 5:21 pm #

    Sad news. I’m glad everyone is alive and ok but what heartache for the business owners.

  41. JY March 13, 2010 at 2:27 pm #

    this is the worst news i’ve had in the last month! i feel horrible for the owners of the place–they have always been super kind and friendly to me and would lend me a quarter if i was just one short, etc.

    truly sad news :(

  42. Avi April 10, 2010 at 10:30 am #

    Terrible news. I like them so much. Does anyone know how to get their laundry back? I had 20 shirts that I desperately need back.