DORAL, FLA. (WSVN) - Firefighters said a blaze at a laundry service building in Opa-locka took approximately an hour to extinguish, bringing the commercial structure fire under control.
The fire took place at AQUATEX Commercial Laundry, located at 13063 NW 42nd Ave., after two alarms went off inside the establishment on Wednesday just before midnight. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to the scene and immediately worked the inferno.
Live video footage captured the aftermath of damaged linens, laundry carts, pillow cases and bedding material on Tuesday morning.
Although the structure was significantly damaged, the owner, Andres Matukp, told 7News that he does not believe the building to be a total loss. Matukp said nothing seemed out of the ordinary when he and his wife left their business at 4:30 p.m.
“We don’t know what happened,” he said. “We don’t have total loss. We have to check. My business doesn’t look good. For me, I’m not happy.”
The fire managed to affect not only the laundry business, but also Ozzy’s Cafe, a neighboring business. The cafe was without power and gas as a result of the overnight fire, forcing them to stay closed for a few hours.
The owner of Ozzy’s Cafe said she has $10,000 of meat that cannot be replaced. Fortunately, they were able to regain power to their establishment.
MDFR were back at the scene of the fire as they assessed the damage with the owner on Thursday morning. Matukp stood in his business where he once washed, dried and folded.
“This is the rest of the business,” Matukp said as he showed 7News cameras the damage on the inside.
Despite the damage, a reason to smile as the company cat was found OK. The black work cat was seen eating out of a bowl. Although a bit dirty, the cat’s bowl was now full of food. As its family welcomed the feline companion home, Matukp left asking for one thing: prayers.
Officials said no injuries were reported as a result of this fire. An investigation to find the cause of the flames is underway.
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