Blaze Engulfs E. Garden City Apartment Complex [Photos]

Flames engulfed one building inside the Avalon Garden City apartment complex Wednesday afternoon and spread to others.

The fire broke out inside the Stewart Avenue development, which is currently under construction, shortly after 11 a.m. Nassau County Police's Arson and Bomb Squad detectives say a worker at the Avalon Garden City Complex located at 800 Mitchell Field Way accidentally started the fire that engulfed one entire apartment building. There is no criminality at this time. 

More than 100 firefighters from 10 local departments, including Uniondale, East Meadow, South Hempstead and Garden City, were called to the scene. They used approximately 20 assorted pieces of fire apparatus.

By noon the firefighters had squashed the flames, but continued to blast the buildings with water as heavy smoke still billowed from multiple structures.

Garden City Fire Chief Charles Cavarra told Patch that nobody was in the buildings when the fire broke out. According to Nassau County Police, one fireman was treated and released from a local hospital for an injury to his shoulder. 

Merchants Concourse and the nearby southbound entrance of the Meadowbrook Parkway were closed for hours. Stewart Avenue, from Merrick Avenue to Suffrage Road, was also shut down for most of the day. Police re-opened the westbound lanes just before 2 p.m. and the eastbound lanes around 4:30 p.m.

This is a breaking news story. Patch will update the story when more details are made available.