Fire At Popular Rye Eatery With 2 Apartments Above Ruled Accidental

CITY OF RYE, NY — Quick action by firefighters helped avert a potential disaster at a Westchester eatery with apartments above it late last night.

The Rye Fire Department says that on Monday, around 9:47 p.m., crews were dispatched to a Midland Avenue mixed-use occupancy building, with a deli on the first floor and two residential apartments, after receiving a report of the odor of smoke in the basement.

Once at the scene, crews found light smoke throughout the structure. Fire officials on the scene upgraded the response and called for additional resources.

As firefighters attempted to locate the source of the smoke, conditions intensified and smoke became visible from the outside of the building. A working fire was transmitted, bringing in mutual aid support from neighboring fire departments.

Crews found the fire in the walls of a room next to the commercial kitchen equipment. The fire was contained to the room where it started. Firefighters then conducted overhaul operations, checked for any fire extension, and secured utilities, according to officials.

The Rye Fire Department says that despite the hot and humid weather, the fire was brought under control within 45 minutes, with no injuries reported.

The Westchester Cause and Origin Team determined the cause to be accidental, attributing the fire to a failure in the sheet metal surrounding the commercial kitchen appliances.

The Rye Fire Department expressed its appreciation to all its mutual aid departments, the Rye Police Department, Port Chester/Rye/Rye Brook EMS, and Con Edison "for their critical support during this incident."