Dortoni Bakery workers flee when fire strikes nail salon next door in Levittown strip mall
A blaze broke out at a Levittown strip mall early Saturday morning, shuttering several businesses, but the owner of an iconic bakery said it was a "Christmas miracle" that nobody was hurt.
A fire reported at 5:45 a.m. erupted at a nail salon and florist at the Levittown Plaza on Hempstead Turnpike, sending plumes of smoke billowing into the sky and roughly 20 overnight employees at Dortoni Bakery fleeing, according to Donnie Messina, one of the owners of the fifth-generation family-run business.
A fire wall separates Dortoni’s from the next-door nail salon, and likely helped protect the bakery from the blaze, as did the firefighters who responded quickly to the scene, Messina said.
“It’s truly a Christmas miracle because we’re all OK,” he said, thanking the firefighters for their efforts. “We're really blessed.”
Nassau County Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro said firefighters were able to get the fire under control within an hour. It was contained to the nail salon and florist, resulting in no injuries — just substantial damage.
Uttaro added that knocking down fires at strip malls is challenging because flames could quickly spread through the cocklofts — common areas above the ceiling.
“In this case, the fire department was able to employ aggressive tactics and cut holes in the roof to stop the fire from spreading horizontally,” Uttaro said.
The two burnt businesses had white X’s posted on their facade that, per fire code, warn first responders not to enter due to critical structural safety hazards, according to Uttaro. Naz's Halal Food also bore the same warning. Domenico’s Restaurant was also impacted and was closed Saturday, but the extent of the damage was unclear.
Messina said he rushed to the bakery after getting a phone call from an employee. He recounted a chaotic scene, with 150 firefighters from the Levittown Fire Department and six mutual aid fire companies working to extinguish the blaze.
“Our night crew saw this. They smelled the smoke and they went outside and saw the flames coming out of the walls,” Messina said, grateful his shop was not impacted and was open for business for the busy holidays.
This was the first time since the bakery's opening 50 years ago that a fire hit nearby. It was unclear how many total businesses were impacted or how bad the damage was.
Uttaro said the cause of the fire and how and where it started remains under investigation but it does not appear suspicious.
A blaze broke out at a Levittown strip mall early Saturday morning, shuttering several businesses, but the owner of an iconic bakery said it was a "Christmas miracle" that nobody was hurt.
A fire reported at 5:45 a.m. erupted at a nail salon and florist at the Levittown Plaza on Hempstead Turnpike, sending plumes of smoke billowing into the sky and roughly 20 overnight employees at Dortoni Bakery fleeing, according to Donnie Messina, one of the owners of the fifth-generation family-run business.
A fire wall separates Dortoni’s from the next-door nail salon, and likely helped protect the bakery from the blaze, as did the firefighters who responded quickly to the scene, Messina said.
“It’s truly a Christmas miracle because we’re all OK,” he said, thanking the firefighters for their efforts. “We're really blessed.”
Nassau County Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro said firefighters were able to get the fire under control within an hour. It was contained to the nail salon and florist, resulting in no injuries — just substantial damage.
Uttaro added that knocking down fires at strip malls is challenging because flames could quickly spread through the cocklofts — common areas above the ceiling.
“In this case, the fire department was able to employ aggressive tactics and cut holes in the roof to stop the fire from spreading horizontally,” Uttaro said.
The two burnt businesses had white X’s posted on their facade that, per fire code, warn first responders not to enter due to critical structural safety hazards, according to Uttaro. Naz's Halal Food also bore the same warning. Domenico’s Restaurant was also impacted and was closed Saturday, but the extent of the damage was unclear.
Messina said he rushed to the bakery after getting a phone call from an employee. He recounted a chaotic scene, with 150 firefighters from the Levittown Fire Department and six mutual aid fire companies working to extinguish the blaze.
“Our night crew saw this. They smelled the smoke and they went outside and saw the flames coming out of the walls,” Messina said, grateful his shop was not impacted and was open for business for the busy holidays.
This was the first time since the bakery's opening 50 years ago that a fire hit nearby. It was unclear how many total businesses were impacted or how bad the damage was.
Uttaro said the cause of the fire and how and where it started remains under investigation but it does not appear suspicious.
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