Coral House catering hall in Baldwin damaged in early morning fire

A well-known Baldwin catering hall was damaged after a fire broke out early Wednesday, authorities said.

The Baldwin Fire Department responded to the 4 a.m. blaze in a storage area on the south side of a building at the Coral House catering hall on Milburn Avenue. Images from the scene show firefighters overhauling the second floor of the catering hall through a broken window beneath a hole in the side of the roof.

First Assistant Chief Doug Eberhart said he was first to arrive on the scene and noticed fallen ceiling tiles and smoke coming from the roof.

Firefighters from Freeport, Oceanside and Long Beach, as well as standby units like Inwood and Lynbrook, provided mutual aid.

The fire was "basically suppressed" by the sprinkler system, and the rest of the fire was put out, he said.

Owner Butch Yamali said the fire started on a rooftop patio that was distanced from the main part of the building. While two custom windows were broken and some carpeting and walls were wet, the hall should be "back to normal" on Thursday, thanks to the help of staff who "jumped right in, no questions asked."

No events were scheduled for Wednesday, and some staff were directed to the Freeport office for the day, Yamali said. 

"Nobody's even losing an hour of work," he said. "Everybody's gonna be good. We all worked together."

Check back for updates on this developing story.