Bronx pizza shop owner says e-bike caused devastating fire overnight
NEW YORK -- The owner of a beloved Bronx pizza shop says an e-bike started a fire that destroyed his restaurant overnight Monday.
Friends and customers hugged Pepe Caamano as he checked out the damage done to his brick oven pizza shop Pepe Joe's on Courtland Avenue in the Melrose section.
"I was sleeping and my coworker, he called me, said listen, customers, they called me, and it's burning, the pizza shop. I was shocked," Caamano told CBS2's Natalie Duddridge.
Firefighters responded at around 2:30 a.m. Flames quickly tore through the restaurant, but fortunately no one was inside. Caamano, who's been running the restaurant for 26 years, rushed over as soon as he heard about the fire.
"I come here, I see all this burned. I was just thinking I'll be here for 26 years, working hard for, have your house, have your family, and everything burned in three minutes. It's very hard," said Caamano.
Caamano took over an existing pizza shop in 1996, when he was 21. Ever since, neighbors have said he's been nothing but good to the community.
"It's the best pizza in the world," one customer said.
"They always love the customers, they love everybody," said another.
One man said Caamano gave him free slices when he was down on his luck.
"He looked out. He actually came through, gave me pizza pie," he said.
Neighbors hope Caamano rebuilds, but Caamano isn't sure what will happen.
Caamano said the fire was started by an e-bike that was left charging overnight and that his insurance company sent a letter warning not to do that months ago.
"That was us mistake because the electric bicycle, the insurance company said don't charge it if you're not there, don't do it at night. So, we didn't figure out who plugged it in," said Caamano.
Caamano hopes other business owners learn from him.
"If you own a business and you have an electrical bicycle, don't put it charging in the night," he said.
The community said they'll pitch in to help any way they can. They hope to get their favorite pizza shop back up and running in a few months.
A hair salon next door was damaged in the fire, but the owners hope they'll be covered by insurance.
