Firefighters worked tirelessly for hours to quell flames at a Bronx grocery store Thursday night.
The owner noticed the fire shortly after the store closed about 5:30 p.m., CBS reported.
"We quickly put tower ladders into operation and had hand lines in all of the exposed buildings and we prevented that from happening," FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens said.
Three firefighters and a civilian were injured.
He added that firefighters had to continue working from outside. Families in nearby buildings were evacuated. More than 200 fire and EMS personnel battled to stop the flames from spreading to the neighboring gas station and tire shop.
"The supermarket has a large stock of many different types of combustibles, potential flammables," Hodgens said.
What's left is a pile of rubble within the walls. Neighbors say they will now have to travel for another supermarket as big as that one.
