At approximately 1:30 PM, Eliot Wagner of Now I’ve Heard Everything called to tell me there was a serious fire in the 4-story building, which houses Good Footing Adventure, an athletic shoe store next door to the post office on Seventh Avenue between 2nd and 3rd Streets.

I was in the Cocoa Bar so I ran over to check out the situation.

At 1:47, I spoke to one of the firefighters who told me that  the fire was on the roof. By the time I got there the fire was out. According to other sources, it took 16 minutes to put the fire out. There were no injuries and the occupants of the building can, as of 1:47 PM return to the building. but because of water damage to the entire building, tenents won’t be returning anytime soon.

A large number of fire trucks and a few ambulances were on the street. An eyewitness said she saw flames emanating from the roof of the building about a half hour ago.

At 3:15 or so, one of the employees of Good Footing told me that the fire was on the roof where there is a deck. I asked if there was a barbecue grill up there but he didn’t know. There is extensive damage to the shop and its merchandise due to  the water used by the firefighters.

Firefighters put out the fire on the roof And the owner of Good Footing and his employees will begin to clean up the mess. After the ceiling stops dripping, that is.

Seventh Avenue was closed to traffic from 4th Street to 2nd Street for an hour or more.

A few minutes ago, I stepped into the shop, which smelled of fire and dankness. Water was dripping from the ceiling and everyone looked extremely dispirited.

What a mess.