Macklind Avenue Deli Blaze Possibly Caused By Fireworks

ST. LOUIS, MO — Macklind Avenue Deli, a popular sandwich shop in St. Louis' South Hampton neighborhood, burned early Thursday morning, possibly the result of fireworks landing on the roof, authorities said.

The official cause of the fire is still under investigation, but neighbors reported a flurry of fireworks shortly before 1 a.m., around the time the fire started.

Firefighters worked overnight to extinguish the flames, but Fire Captian Garon Mosby called the blaze very intense, and said that after a firefighter was injured by falling debris and another came down with heat exhaustion, the incident commander transitioned to defensive tactics.

The firefighter injured by debris was struck in the head and taken to the hospital. His injuries are said to be non-life threatening.

2nd Alarm #Fire - Macklind & Nottingham. Defensive operations ongoing. #STLCity #July4th pic.twitter.com/s3dd8ykkZK
— St. Louis Fire Dept (@STLFireDept) July 5, 2018

The building was essentially gutted by flame, but the deli's owners have vowed to rebuild. Eleven employees will be out of work in the meantime.

Some community members have set up a GoFundMe to cover the insurance deductibles and other interim costs.

"Macklind Avenue Deli is our community center and has burned down because of what we think was carelessness with Fireworks in the middle of the night on the 4th," Jonathan Feraro writes on the GoFundMe page.

He continues:

Not too long ago, our good friend Casey Jovick took over the deli, and has been putting every penny he has into it. The food and people there are amazing! Casey and his crew are the nicest, most hard working and talented folks you’ll ever want to meet. They care a lot about our district, and we care a lot about them! Please help us help them rebuild the deli, or at least with whatever deductibles or interim expenses there may be. I can’t imagine my neighborhood without the Macklind Deli, and it’s a huge part of the reason why I choose to live here around the corner from it. Please dig deep to help out my friends. This is your deli too. Thank you.

To donate, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/save-the-macklind-avenue-deli.

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Image via St. Louis Fire Department