Fire damages businesses, apartments on Rockaway Avenue in Valley Stream

A two-alarm fire on Rockaway Avenue has left several Valley Stream businesses, including a multicultural hair salon and a barbershop, in ruins after tearing through a two-story brick building. Beyond the total loss of commercial equipment, the blaze forced the Red Cross to assist displaced residents of second-floor apartments, with business owners describing the ordeal as a "complete shock" that will take a long time to recover from.