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.
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.
Is this why there are helicopters hovering noisily over the heights?
What’s with the helicopters – is this part of the response to the fire?
Yes, and our liquor store is gone as well….now I can live without the laundromat…but
the helicopters are gone now – I think they might have been there for the earlier fire at 192 Concord.
Not the liquor Store!!!!!
ugh. the smoke smell is gross. how bad was the fire?
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).
Wait…the wine store is gone too? Nooooooooooooooo.
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?
I believe it’s the organic joint next to Teresa’s, right?
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…
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?
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!
I live at 68 Montague. Is that building okay?
Wow, this is so sad…here is the google link – it is not the new organic laundromat, rather the one next to the wine store…
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=78+montague+street,+brooklyn,+ny&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=78+Montague+St,+Brooklyn,+NY+11201&gl=us&ei=JwSZS9yQLIP68Ab_xunGCg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ8gEwAA
Only the Liquor Store and Laundromat are gone….all else seems fine on the block.
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…
This was right next to Theresa’s right? Did that get hit?
Also, I’m guessing no one got hurt?
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.
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!
This is the second Montague St. laundromat to have a fire. Sorry for all concerned, which is the entire nabe.
Pics @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/dan-rosenbaum/sets/72157623599447260
Here is some video i took after the fact:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXiL1_BZC1g
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.
Is there another laundromat in the area?
Yes, Joann, on Columbia Place, right off of Joralemon:
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&sourceid=navclient-ff&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS319US319&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=laundromats+brooklyn+heights&fb=1&gl=us&hq=laundromats&hnear=brooklyn+heights&cid=11653548548162598500
thanks AEB…was getting desperate
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
How much booze did Ali baba and the40 thieves take home?
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.
Do these little laundromats have insurance, typically? Did that other one that caught fire reopen? I hope for their sake they do. But with something probably running on a shoestring — and maybe high insurance rates, given the risk — maybe not.
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.
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.
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 ;-(
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.
Thank Gd the wine and liquor didn’t explode.
Sad news. I’m glad everyone is alive and ok but what heartache for the business owners.
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 :(
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.