Thursday, October 1, 2026
A two-alarm fire damaged Jerusalem II Pizza and neighboring businesses in the Village of Lawrence early Tuesday morning, forcing the popular pizzeria to temporarily close.
The Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department was dispatched to the Central Avenue storefront, near Rockaway Turnpike, at 3:33 a.m., according to the Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office. Firefighters quickly transmitted a second alarm after the blaze spread into an adjacent vacant storefront, formerly home to The Sandwich Bar.
150 firefighters from multiple departments responded and brought the fire under control in roughly 90 minutes. No injuries were reported.
The fire also caused significant damage to the neighboring thrift shop, where much of the clothing inventory was ruined by smoke and water and will have to be discarded.
Preliminary reports indicate the fire may have originated from an electrical issue involving a refrigerator in the building's basement, though the Nassau County Fire Marshal's investigation remains ongoing and the official cause has not yet been determined.
The below message is from Bonnie Sperry, executivce dreictor of the National Council of Jewish Women Peninsula Section:
NCJW Peninsula Section wishes to thank all the fire departments, police and EMS that responded to this call. They are true heroes and probably saved our building.
We have extensive smoke damage and our Thrift Shop at 342 Central Ave, Lawrence will not be able to open or take donations until further notice.
We hope that our neighbors understand and we will need those donations when we reopen.
Call our Thrift Shop at 516-569-0510 and we will leave a message saying when we expect to reopen.
