A fast-moving blaze that ripped through multiple storefronts in the heart of Main Street in downtown Sayville has left this close-knit South Shore Long Island hamlet devastated.
The first sightings of the fire were reported at approximately 5:45 p.m. on Friday, October 25. The point of origin is believed to be the former home of Café Joelle, a popular neighborhood restaurant. When Café Joelle moved to a larger space on Foster Avenue in August, the space was vacant and undergoing renovations.
The windy weather that came to the region at the end of this week thwarted the efforts of the Sayville Fire Department to contain the blaze and eight neighboring departments that arrived on the scene to lend assistance. Heavy smoke lingered in the downtown district throughout the evening.
By the night’s end, at least five additional local shops sustained damage—The Crushed Olive, Paper Doll Vintage Boutique, Boris Barber Shop, Sayville Running Company, and Hammer and Stain DIY Workshop Studio––storefronts connected by adjoining walls, and winds that drove the flames to jump east.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. No injuries or loss of life have been reported.
Greater Sayville Chamber of Commerce has already started a relief fund to assist what they estimate to be a dozen local businesses impacted by the fire.
