Hauppauge FD-Fire destroys shopping center across from the firehouse

February 20, 1961 Fire destroys 8 stores in the shopping center across from the main house. Fire broke out in the Town Lounge Cafe and spread via wooden roof assembly to a drug store, an ice cream parlor, the post office, a vacant store, a real estate office, the Hauppauge branch of the Bank of Smithtown and a hardware store. Cops from the 4th precinct assisted the bank tellers by removing cash from the vault. Cops broke into the post office and removed 5 canvas bags of what they thought was mail, but was actually sacks of mail sacks. All of the mail in the building was destroyed. A temporary post office was setup across the street in the fire house. Firefighters had difficulty fighting the fire as the closest hydrant was at Route 111 and Vets. Smithtown and Nesconset FDs assisted at the scene. Fire was reported at 0330 hours. Photo by Zimmerman in 2/23/1961 Smithtown News. Shopping center was owned by Jacob Kimbrig. Damage estimate was $150,000 (this was 1961).