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Discarded Cigarette May Have Caused Tick Tock Diner Fire
By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 18, 2011
Modified Dec 18, 2011
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 18, 2011
Modified Dec 18, 2011
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A fire earlier today has shuttered the Tick Tock Diner in Midtown—and authorities believe it was caused by a discarded cigarette. The fire started in the facade of Tick Tock Diner, which is housed at 303 W. 34th Street in the New Yorker Hotel building, around 10:15 a.m. There was a packed house in the popular diner for Sunday brunch, and patrons didn't seem to mind a little smoke: "We seat 300 people and it was a Sunday morning, so people were waiting on line," waiter Steve Tsiolis told DNAInfo. "People kept eating. They didn't want to leave their food."
The fire started small, but quickly grew, with flames extended to the second floor of the building. "You couldn’t see any flames. All you saw was everybody coming out and smoke. The whole place was smoked out," said Luigi Forgione, who had just eaten at the diner before the fire started. They were able to get it under control without any injuries though.
Diner owner Alex Sgourdos told the Post that firefighters told him the flames were sparked by a tossed smoke that rolled off the sidewalk and became wedged underneath the restaurant's metal façade, which has wood underneath. Sgourdos added that he plans to reopen Tuesday.
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accident
cigarette
diner
manhattan
midtown
smoke
tick tock
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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