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by THOMAS J. LUECK
A fire broke out yesterday in a Washington Heights variety store, prompting the relocation of dozens of people from nearby residential buildings and producing dense plumes of black smoke that could be seen across a broad swath of upper Manhattan and the Bronx.
Fire officials said the blaze, which was reported shortly before 5:30 p.m. at 99¢ U.S.A., at 1214 St. Nicholas Avenue, was particularly hard to fight because it was fueled by cleaning fluids, plastic, paper products and other flammable merchandise that crowded the store.
The officials said the cause was unclear last night, but the fire, which caused extensive damage to the store, was considered suspicious.
"It is suspicious and it is under investigation," said Chief of Operations Salvatore Cassano. He said the fire was unusual because it broke out when the variety store was filled with customers and sales personnel.
Nonetheless, officials said only one civilian and fewer than 10 firefighters had been injured by the time the fire was under control about 8 p.m., and none required hospital treatment.
More than 50 fire vehicles and 225 personnel were called in to fight the blaze. It attracted hundreds of people to nearby streets wondering what had caused the sky to blacken on a balmy August evening.
Lizette Bruselas, a sales clerk at 99¢ U.S.A, said she became aware of the fire when rolls of paper towels on display in its windows began to smoke. "I smelled something, looked up, and saw it was the rolls of Bounty," she said last night. "I yelled to get out."
Although the blaze was confined to a single-story building fully occupied by the variety store, the smoke forced the evacuation of at least three nearby residential buildings, and firefighters had to break through doors and windows to make sure people in those buildings were safe.
One of the buildings is a five-story co-op at St. Nicholas Avenue and 171st Street. Another was a city-operated residence on 171st Street for people with disabilities, and officials said those people were relocated last night to other city residences.
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