Macklind Avenue Deli is our community center and has burned down because of carelessness with fireworks in the middle of the night on the 4th of July fireworks celebrations.
ST. LOUIS, MO
A fire that authorities suspect was ignited by errant fireworks destroyed a deli in south St. Louis early Thursday.
The fire, reported before 1 a.m., was at the Macklind Avenue Deli, 4721 Macklind Avenue, in the city's Southampton neighborhood. The cause is under investigation.
Heavy fire was coming from the roof of the one-story brick commercial building when firefighters arrived. Capt. Garon Mosby of the St. Louis Fire Department, in his updates on social media, said the two-alarm fire grew rapidly.
Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said errant fireworks are the likely cause. Residents said there were large fireworks going off before the fire was reported, he said.
“That was a valuable business,” the fire chief said.
Jenkerson said this year people were setting off what seemed like commercial-grade fireworks. He pointed out that igniting any fireworks is against the law in St. Louis.
One firefighter battling the fire at the deli suffered head and neck injuries when a ceiling fell on him, Jenkerson said. That firefighter was hospitalized and his condition was stable. Another firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion.
About 60 firefighters helped fight the blaze.
The deli opened in 2006. Its longtime owners, Dick and Carol Krekeler, sold the business this spring. Its current owner, identified in city property records as Anthony Zanti, could not be reached for comment.
Max Crask, who is part of the management group that runs it, said the Fire Department thought fireworks started the fire.
"It's a total loss, it really sucks," he said. "It was something important to the neighborhood. We really loved it."
Crask said they hope to rebuild. "My gut instinct is yeah we get it rebuilt as soon as we can," but he said the decision is really the owner's and insurance and other factors will determine its future. The deli was insured, he said.
A gofundme account has been set up to help the deli.
Crask said a friend who lives around the corner from the deli saw the fire and called Crask to tell him about the fire, and Crask raced to the scene and was there when fire crews pulled up.
Crask said the deli prided itself on the fact that all deli meats were made in house and that it was sourcing local products. They just put in a butcher counter and started getting in some local farmer produce. "It was really just catching its stride," he said.
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Fireworks suspected as cause of Macklind Avenue Deli blaze
July 5, 2018
ST. LOUIS, MO –
A Southampton neighborhood landmark was destroyed in an overnight fire and investigators suspect fireworks as the possible cause.
St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said commercial-grade fireworks were exploding in the skies where the fire began at the Macklind Avenue Deli. He reminded folks that using fireworks in the city is illegal, but the fact that commercial grade fireworks were being used worried him.
People who lived in the area spent the day driving by the deli to take a look at what happened. The sight was upsetting to many folks.
“It’s definitely heartbreaking, very heartbreaking,” said Ann Murphy, who lives nearby.
The fire broke out in the 40-year-old building around 1 a.m. Thursday. Flames leaped into the night air. It was so ferocious, firefighters had to change their plan of attack.
“We initially started off with a very aggressive interior attack, but the fire developed very rapidly,” said Fire Captain Garon Mosby. “We had a large amount of fire on arrival, but it grew exponentially throughout the entire attack.”
Two St. Louis firefighters were injured, one by falling debris. He was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. The other was treated on the scene after he was overcome by heat.
In their defensive position, crews soaked the building with lots of water from outside. They were able to protect nearby homes and Clementine’s Ice Cream, which is under construction.
Despite some smoke and water damage, Clementine’s owner, Tamara Keefe, still hopes to open next month thanks to firefighters.
“They were super engaged and they definitely were trying to protect our investment and our building as well,” she said.
After bringing the fire under control, crews returned to the scene after it rekindled. It was upsetting for neighbors to watch a local favorite destroyed by flames.
“I’ve been coming up here all the time. They’ve got good sandwiches and it’s really sad to see what happened to it,” said Michael Venturella, a deli customer.
Gerald Dunne, one of the deli’s owners, said he’s optimistic about returning.
“We talked to the owner of the building this morning he intends to rebuild and reopen as soon as possible,” he said.
That will not only be good news for neighbors, but also for the dozen people who work here.