What to Know
- A grease fire ripped through a Queens bakery Sunday night, leaving the business in shambles on Christmas Eve
- While the blaze at El Nuevo Hornero Bakery was “devastating,” according to owner Esteban Diaz, he says it could have been worse.
- Although the fire was contained, the damage was done as the smell of smoke overpowered the contents of El Nuevo Hornero Bakery
A grease fire ripped through a Queens bakery Sunday night, leaving the business in shambles on Christmas Eve.
While the blaze at El Nuevo Hornero Bakery was “devastating,” according to owner Esteban Diaz, he says it could have been worse.
As he gave News 4 an exclusive look at his shop hours after a grease fire began underneath the oven, Diaz said, “Thank God it’s contained to this section over here.”
Although the fire was contained, the damage was done as the smell of smoke overpowered the contents of El Nuevo Hornero Bakery where the cakes say “Feliz Navidad” — “Merry Christmas” in Spanish.
The blaze unfolded steps from the Junction Boulevard Subway Station, on a busy section of bustling Corona on Roosevelt Avenue, as customers remain stunned that their Christmas treats will not be available for the holiday.
“I’m surprised to see this. I always come here,” Angel Gonzalez, a customer, said.
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Workers spent the day cleaning up damage from the fire that also prompted the next door Mexican restaurant to shut down as questions remain as to how long it would take this bakery to recover after losing what’s supposed to be one of the busiest days of the year.
“It crushes us,” Diaz says of the impact the fire has on his business. “It’s a crushing blow. Mentally, physically, emotionally. And it hurts our pocket, our bottom line big time.”
