‘We won’t stop until all are made whole’

On Friday, Oct. 25, a fire started in the former Café Joelle building, which tore through adjoining stores, Paper Doll Vintage Boutique and Boris’s Barbershop, and caused water damage in Sayville Running Company and Hammer & Stain.

Upstairs from the affected businesses was the Adrian Fields Counseling office that was destroyed.

On the west side of the former Café Joelle building was Crushed Olive, which will now have to destroy all inventory as per the Department of Health because of the smoke exposure to the food items.

On the scene within minutes of the alarm call being placed was Sayville Fire Department. In mutual aid, firefighters and apparatuses from Bayport, Blue Point, Bohemia, Holbrook, Patchogue, North Patchogue, East Islip, and Islip Terrace also made the call.

The structural fire is still being investigated by the arson unit and Town of Islip fire marshal and they typically conclude an investigation in weeks or a month after the incident.

Sayville fire chief Craig Fazio was on the scene in the same minute the fire was called in at 5:39 p.m., as his home is down the block from the former Café Joelle.

“The fire was first visible in the windows [of the former Café Joelle] and then it went through the roof,” said Fazio.

With an interior attack of the fire and a good push through the extended hose line, the firefighters were able to battle the fire, but the strong winds of the evening spread the flames to the adjoining businesses to the east of the structure.

“The fire spread rapidly due to the age of the building, which is over 100 years old,” said Fazio.

The former Café Joelle, Paper Doll Vintage Boutique, and Boris’s Barbershop are actually all in the same building that was subdivided into three storefronts.

There were two hard lines of water operating into the boutique fire as roof firemen reported the spread.

Outside, exterior master streams and tower ladders were in the air also shooting water onto the roof.

The building department will now determine if the building is structurally sound, but Fazio said the damage to the three buildings would “shut business [in the same location] down for a long time.”

“As councilman, I am committed to supporting our businesses and community during the rebuilding process. I am working closely with the Town of Islip fire marshals and Building Department to expedite necessary permits and inspections so these businesses can reopen as quickly as possible,” said John Lorenzo, councilman for Town of Islip’s Fourth District, where downtown Main Street is located.

The Greater Sayville Chamber of Commerce president, Ron Trotta, and president emerita, Eileen Tyznar, were on the scene minutes after the start, with Tyznar comforting affected business owners throughout the night until 5 a.m.

Tyznar enacted a chamber fundraiser, with a goal of $150,000 to disburse in immediate need for the affected businesses. As of print, about half of the $150,000 goal has been met.

“The school district and many organizations and residents donated,” said Tyznar.

Within 48 hours, Tyznar had found a new location for Boris’s Barbershop to operate while awaiting restoration and convinced the owners of Rite Aid on Main Street to subdivide the structure for the affected businesses to operate out from for at least a year.

“Our priority is to set them up immediately so they don’t have a long lapse in business. Funds are 100 percent immediately available,” said Tyznar. “We won’t stop until all are made whole again.”