Route 9 Plaza Partially Destroyed By 2-Alarm Fire

A popular Route 9 strip mall was devastated by a two-alarm fire that broke out in the early morning hours.

On Monday morning flames could be seen shooting out of the top of a busy shopping plaza on Route 9 in the Town of Wappinger. The Hughsonville Fire Department says it was alerted to the blaze just after 2am in the morning when State Police called in a fire at 1383 Route 9.

The plaza is the home of several popular businesses including Heritage Food + Drink, Verizon Wireless, State Farm Insurance, Miracle Ear and Cryo Spa. Just five years old, the plaza is named Greenbaum Square because it was erected at the site of the former Greenbaum and Gilhooley's restaurant.

The Hughsonville Fire Department says that "heavy fire was visible from the center of the roof at the rear of the building" when they arrived at the scene. Upon assessing the situation, a second alarm was sent out to call in additional departments to assist with the fire.

Firefighters located the fire in the ceiling above an electrical room. Most of the blaze was concentrated in the middle of the commercial building above Miracle Ear and State Farm Insurance.

Responders used ladder trucks to reach the roof and target the fire. The flames were brought under control and extinguished, causing "minimal fire damage" to the four businesses directly below. Miracle Ear and State Farm appear to have received the worst of the water damage, as well as the electrical room and storage areas behind the businesses.

Heritage Food + Drink was apparently not affected by the fire. There has been no announcement that the fire will affect the restaurant's operating hours.