More than 130 firefighters battled a smoky three-alarm fire in the Bronx that disrupted the the busy rush hour commute on two subway lines.
Nobody was injured in the blaze.
The fire was reported just after 4 p.m. and reached 3 alarms just around 5 p.m. Because the fire was near an elevated subway line, New York City Transit temporarily suspended subway service in the South Bronx neighborhood.
Several local streets were closed, while car and bus traffic were snarled.
A Fire Department spokesman says the blaze on Southern Boulevard and East 167 Street of the Bronx destroyed several small stores.
The blaze apparently started at a dry cleaning business and spread to several neighboring stores, including a pet shop. Several animals, including birds, fish and mammals perished.
Service on the No. 2 and 5 trains were suspended in both directions between East 149th Street and East 180th Street.
