SCRANTON -- A supermarket in Scranton is closed after a smoky overnight fire.
Gerrity's on Meadow Avenue is normally closed overnight, but the place was filled with activity Tuesday morning. It's all a part of a recovery after a late night fire.
An assistant fire chief told Newswatch 16 an automated alarm came from the building around 11:30 p.m. Monday night.
When firefighters arrived on scene, they found the supermarket filled with smoke.
The co-owner said he believes the flames started in a floor bluffer, causing the costly fire.
Much of what is in the store will have to be thrown out.
"We expect to possibly throw away all of our perishable products. Anything that is non perishable, we will evaluate with the department of agriculture," said Joe Fasula, co-owner of Gerrity's. "It's so heartbreaking to see all that hard work. We put love into everything we make, and we make so much of our product."
Fasula said hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of food will have to go. Fasula added the store has been cleared to open, by the Scranton Health Department once the clean up is finished, and the store should be ready to go Thursday morning.
There is no option. If it wasn't sealed or in a glassed in case, it had to go. Gerrity's brought in a cleanup crew. There were air cleaners, rather than shoppers, in the aisles.
Fire and water damaged was confined to the back of the building, but there is smoke everywhere else.
Of course, it's never a good day to have a fire close your store, but this fire comes on a very busy day for Gerrity's. It's Tuesday, senior citizens day. Some of those senior citizens showed up at 7 a.m., the time when Gerrity's normally opens.
"I walked in and was very disappointed when they threw me out," laughed Rosemary McGuigan.
McGuigan was not alone. Some turned away customers will visit nearby Gerrity's stores. Others will go elsewhere.
"There's always something you need and I'll run down to, actually, I live in Scranton. Pardon me, Mrs. Gerrity, I'm going to go to your competitor," said Harold Kornfeld.
But not for long. Kornfeld says he will be back when Gerrity's on Meadow Avenue is cleaned up, aired out, restocked, and reopened.
No one was hurt during the fire. Gerrity's is asking costumers to visit their Moosic, West Scranton, or Keyser Avenue stores until the one on Meadow Avenue is open again.