Seven injured in West Merrick Road deli fire

Seven people were injured Sunday morning when a fire gutted a corner deli on West Merrick Road.

Officers reportedly received a call at around 6 a.m. on March 3 of a fire at Crown Deli on the corner of West Merrick Road and Dale Place. Upon arrival, firefighters and officers said they heard a 33-year-old man calling for help from inside the building and proceeded to force their way into the deli’s kitchen area to rescue him. Police report that he was transported to Nassau University Medical Center for smoke inhalation, and is currently in stable condition.

Six other officers were treated for smoke inhalation at an area hospital, and have since been released. In addition to the Valley Stream Fire Department, firefighters from the Malverne, Lynbrook and Woodmere fire departments assisted in extinguishing the blaze.

The next day, however, smoldering embers started another fire under the debris, according to Valley Stream Fire Department Chief Jaosn Croak. He said his department received a call regarding smoke coming from Crown Deli at around 8:30 a.m. Firefighters quickly arrived at the scene, and were there for about two and a half hours. While there, Croak said, firefighters “helped the village get rid of all the debris in the street.”

Residents remember the Crown Deli

In response to a Herald social media inquiry, residents shared their memories of the venerable deli, which JeanAnn McCarthy Adams wrote had the “best egg sandwiches.”

“…[The] guys who worked there were awesome,” Adams said. “I’d walk in and they’d say, ‘The usual Jean?’ [I] hope they can rebuild.”

Debby Iadevaio wrote that she went to the Crown Deli every morning for hot tea and a bagel. “Since there were two schools nearby, I would run into several colleagues at the deli daily, as this was a very popular place for the teachers and staff of both Shaw Avenue and Clearstream Avenue schools,” she wrote. “I’m sorry to hear it’s gone. [I’m] praying for the owners.”

An investigation into the fire is ongoing.