Macy's store at Smith Haven Mall reopens after 2-day closure due to fire

Macy's reopened at the Smith Haven Mall on Sunday after being forced to close during a holiday shopping weekend due to a fire at the store's loading dock Friday.

Smoke damage from the fire early Friday morning forced the store to close for two days. Signs on the doors Saturday alerted shoppers to the closure, but informed them the store was to reopen at 10 a.m. Sunday.

The smell of smoke was replaced by the usual smell of perfume and designer clothing at the multilevel retailer Sunday, as shoppers shuffled in and out. Despite the rain, doors were kept propped open as the store continued to air out. Carpeting was removed from a portion of the south side of the store on the first floor.

Firefighters were notified at about 7 a.m. Friday of heavy smoke coming from the loading dock, said Andrew J. Brofman, chief fire marshal for the Village of Lake Grove, where the mall is located.

Firefighters from Hauppauge, Nesconset, St. James, Stony Brook, Centereach and Smithtown responded and put out the fire within about 10 minutes, Brofman said, adding there were about 40 employees in the store at the time and there were no injuries. The store's sprinklers activated, he said.

The smoke enveloped three floors and a portion of the corridor leading to the mall, Brofman said. It took more than an hour to vent the smoke, he said.

Brofman said fire officials noted several violations but will do a full inspection to determine what they are, as well as the cause of the fire.

Macy's officials did not respond to requests for comment Sunday.