A fire broke out Friday afternoon in the basement of Thyme and Tonic at 474 Columbus Avenue at 83rd Street. Multiple FDNY vehicles and firefighters responded and traffic down Columbus Ave was reduced to a crawl as only one lane was left open. At least two ladders were extended from fire trucks to the roof of the vintage red brick building.
The cause of the fire is under investigation but the flames were put out and FDNY personnel began packing up to leave at about 4 p.m. No injuries took place and one firefighter described the fire as “small.”
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A total of five fire engines and four fire trucks were deployed, and as for why ladders were extended to the roof for a basement fire, an FDNY official explained that it’s a standard procedure in case ventilation or rescue is needed.
Inside Thyme and Tonic, which smelled of the aftermath, co-owner Joshua Borenstein said the fire started in a wall near the kitchen, adding that the restaurant had already closed for the day (early for Shabbat), and there was no cooking taking place. “We’d closed the kitchen, everything was shut off,” he said.
There has got to be an arsonist living down in that area. So many fires in that area.