Two-alarm fire damages Jerusalem II Pizza and neighboring Lawrence stores
Pizzeria closes temporarily; NCJW thrift shop suffers smoke and water damage.
A two-alarm fire damaged Jerusalem II Pizza and neighboring businesses on Central Avenue in Lawrence early Tuesday morning. The Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department was dispatched at 3:33 a.m., and firefighters sent a second alarm after the blaze spread into an adjacent vacant storefront that formerly housed The Sandwich Bar. About 150 firefighters from multiple departments brought the fire under control in roughly 90 minutes. No injuries were reported.
The fire forced the pizzeria to close temporarily. The adjacent thrift shop run by the National Council of Jewish Women Peninsula Section suffered extensive smoke damage, and much of its clothing inventory was ruined by smoke and water and will be discarded. The shop at 342 Central Avenue will not open or take donations until further notice.
Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office preliminary reports suggest the fire may have started with an electrical issue involving a basement refrigerator, but the investigation is ongoing and the official cause has not been determined. Bonnie Sperry, the NCJW Peninsula Section executive director, thanked the responding departments, saying they likely saved the building. She asked neighbors to hold donations until the shop reopens and said callers can reach the thrift shop at 516-569-0510 for updates.