Efforts underway to help businesses destroyed in devastating Fair Lawn fire

Efforts from government leaders and the general public are underway to help several businesses destroyed by a strip mall fire in Fair Lawn last week.

Mayor Gail Rottenstrich, in a letter to the community posted Monday morning, said the borough building department has been working with the owner of the strip mall on Fair Lawn Avenue in the wake of the fire, which started at about 2:30 a.m. Friday. The department is looking to generate an engineer's report and secure the site so the business owners can safely retrieve any remaining property.

"The property owner has stated that they are anxious to rebuild," Rottenstrich wrote, "and the borough will expedite all permits necessary to ensure that the process proceeds as quickly as possible."

The fire heavily damaged the businesses in the strip mall, including Zadies Kosher Bake Shop, Green Dragon Asian Cuisine, Fair Lawn Roadhouse, Flynn's Barbershop, Dream on Lash Salon and Regency Cleaners. All will be closed indefinitely as cleanup and recovery efforts continue.

Fair Lawn Main Street, Inc., the borough's economic development committee, and the Ramapo College Small Business Development Center have reached out to the affected business owners to help them rebuild, Rottenstrich said. Assemblywoman Lisa Swain, a former mayor of Fair Lawn, has contacted the state Economic Development Organization, while Rep. Josh Gottheimer offered to help secure available federal resources for the strip mall.

"The outpouring (of) support from the Fair Lawn community has been truly heartwarming," Rottenstrich said. "We are encouraging the businesses to identify trusted people who can help them set up individual fundraising efforts, and have asked them to send us the information so that we can send it out to the community."

Shea Flynn, owner of Flynn's Barbershop, created a GoFundMe that had raised more than $28,000 of its $50,000 goal as of 1 p.m. Tuesday. He noted the shop's challenges navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic and expressed the need to provide for his 3-year-old son, Cru.

"We’re exhausted mentally (and) physically and could really use a helping hand in any way possible," Flynn wrote.

Another GoFundMe , from Green Dragon owner Ken Chen, had collected about $4,400 by Tuesday afternoon. The money raised will go toward keeping afloat the family business, which supports Chen as well as his two daughters and four nieces and nephews.

Rottenstrich's letter praised the efforts of local first responders, who quickly contained the fire to the strip mall without any injuries. Now, the community is working together to help the business owners in need.

"We are all anxious to see the property rebuilt and these businesses back up and running again as quickly as possible," Rottenstrich said. "Together we will rebuild."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Efforts underway to help businesses destroyed in devastating Fair Lawn fire