On the morning of Sunday, May 2, a fire broke out in the rear of Seventh Street Café, effecting nearby Neptune Camera and Southampton Blazers and causing Volunteer Firefighter Andrew McCaffrey to be transported to Winthrop-University Hospital with chest pains.

Garden City firefighters received a call from 7th Street Stationery, and many additional calls for a fire in the restaurant's rear. Upon arrival, the department found a large blaze on the roof and two employees inside the restaurant attempting to extinguish the stovetop fire, which spread to the duct system over the stove and deep fryer area.

According to reports, approximately five to eight minutes into the fire, the stove's extinguishing system activated and almost put out the lower stove/hood fire but due to intense heat re-ignited and began burning again.

The first engine in put a ground ladder to the rear of the roof and pulled a hand line to the roof to cover exposures. Firefighters brought several chemical extinguishers into the café's kitchen and with pike poles pulled filters out of the hood. The roof team flushed water down the hood and knocked out most of the fire.

Truck Company, using a K-12 saw, cut into the stainless steel back splash and opened a hole in the wall. Fans were also set up to remove smoke from the structures.

Hempstead's tower ladder and Fast Team, a Mineola engine and truck, a Garden City Park engine and two New Hyde Park engines and one ambulance provided mutual aid. Franklin Square was on standby at Garden City Headquarters with a New Hyde Park engine, a Nassau County ambulance and a Mineola ambulance.

Ceiling tiles in next door Southampton Blazers were pulled off so firefighters could check for any fire extension through the wall. According to reports, there was evident damage to the store's drop ceiling and possible smoke damage to the goods on display.

Neptune Camera was also effected; the front door sustained damage while firefighters checked for fire extension. Firefighters opened the store to remove any smoke from the building, reported that there was no obvious extension and contacted the owner to respond to the scene for possible smoke damage.

Nassau County fire marshals were on scene. According to reports, natural gas to the stoves in the kitchen didn't shut off automatically with hood discharge. During an investigation of the hood and duct, the main gas shut off appeared to be in the open position; fire marshals were not sure why the system did not activate sooner.

Fire Commissioner John Watras commended both the fire and police departments for a job well done. "I was very impressed," he told fellow trustees during the May 6 board meeting. "They were concerned about Andy McCaffrey, extinguishing the fire and saving the various stores nearby and were upset for the people who booked communions for that day."