Demolition crews clear burned-out businesses

Piles of rubble are all that remain Tuesday after bulldozers began clearing the burned-out husks that used to be a block of businesses in Mount Vernon. The massive fire Monday on Gramatan Avenue left

News 12 Staff

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Oct 21, 2015, 1:08 AM

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Updated 3,285 days ago

Piles of rubble are all that remain Tuesday after bulldozers began clearing the burned-out husks that used to be a block of businesses in Mount Vernon.

The massive fire Monday on Gramatan Avenue left six people homeless and destroyed four businesses, including the deli in which it started.

Fire officials say the fire started in the basement of Sal's Deli and took out all the storefronts on the block. The fire also caused a two-story apartment building above the stores to collapse.

Firefighters were called back to the scene Tuesday morning and had to douse another hot spot that flared up in the rubble.

Some residents fear the area will become another abandoned lot in the city.

"It's not going to matter. They're going to board it up. They aren't going to do anything about that," said Khalid Michel, of Mount Vernon.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.