Fire Breaks Out at Chinese Restaurant

Four fire trucks and approximately 20 firefighters rushed to New Peking Chinese Food Takeout on 344 Classon Avenue at 12:10 p.m. today, after a small fire broke out in the store's ceiling.

New Peking sits catty-corner from Lafayette Gardens Houses at Classon and Lafayette avenues and is a popular takeout destination for the area's residents.

Dozens of store owners and local residents waded around the area, worried, concerned peeking inside of the store, which had been ripped apart and was left drenched in water, in the fire department's efforts to thoroughly extinguish all flames.

According to FDNY chief Robert Petrucelli, the fire likely was caused by an electrical short in a light fixture hanging from the store's ceiling.

The fire was placed under control by 12:31 p.m., and there were no injuries, according to fire officials.

"I don't know what happened, I think it was that light right there," said one of the workers at New Peking, pointing to the broken light hanging just inside of the store's door. "We won't know until the morning what really happened. We're just trying to clean up now."