Riverhead Fire Department stopped a fire at the former Toys R Us building on Route 58 this morning.
Firefighters found an active fire to the rear of the vacant building near the loading docks, when they responded to the alarm at about 8:15 this morning.
The fire was contained to the exterior of the building, Riverhead Fire Department Second Assistant Chief Joe Hartmann said, but it caused a smoky condition inside the building,
Riverhead Fire Department responded with three engines, a ladder truck and 35 to 40 firefighters, Hartmann said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The building has been vacant since Toys R Us closed its doors in April 2018, following the company’s bankruptcy filing in September 2017.
Furniture retailer Raymour & Flanigan of Liverpool, New York purchased the property last year for $4.68 million.
The building was constructed in the early 1990s as a specialty supermarket. The supermarket soon closed and the site was sold to Toys R Us in 1995.
Thomas Lambui contributed reporting.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that the fire started inside the building.
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