WILSON — While the aisles at 337 Lake St. did not burn Tuesday night, Wilson’s Lakeside Market is closed for the immediate future due to fire damage done to the cooler/freezer area of the business.
So said Village of Wilson Deputy Mayor Greg Martin on Wednesday after conversing with the owner, Vick Singh, who purchased the store in December.
Fire at the store was reported by a 911 caller at 6:56 p.m. Tuesday. According to the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, arriving deputies observed an active fire coming from the western end of the building. Deputies verified nobody was inside and multiple fire companies were summoned to fight the blaze.
Martin said Singh, who resides in Massachusetts, arrived in Wilson on Wednesday afternoon, “upset and looking for advice” on how to proceed. Assessment of the damage and cleanup can’t begin until the investigation of the fire is closed, he noted.
Sheriff Michael Filicetti said the review by the county Fire Investigation Unit was still in progress Wednesday evening and there was no additional information to share.
Martin said the back of 337 Lake St. was severely damaged as a result of the blaze. A number of holes were cut in the roof and walls, for venting, and the fire spread into the cooler area. An office area is also sited in the back.
The store was not open at the time the fire was reported, according to Martin. While its website lists store hours as 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, the store has been closing at 7 p.m., and on Tuesday, he said, “I guess that had closed a bit early.”
In social and other media, Lakeside Market has been referenced as the only full-service grocer in the Wilson area. For Martin, it’s more than that.
“It’s a community gathering place … the place where (local) kids got their first jobs,” he said. “(Wilson) is a beautiful place, but, I don’t know what we can do to get it some good luck.”