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by TONY SCLAFANI
A raging fire gutted a Brooklyn clothing shop yesterday, sending eight tenants who lived above the store and 10 firefighters to area hospitals.
The Crown Heights blaze broke out at Fashion Unlimited at 802 Nostrand Ave. just after 1 p.m. after the owner left to grab some lunch, fire officials said.
The flames leapt onto the sidewalk, melting a nearby bus stop sign, and spread to two adjacent stores, forcing most tenants to flee from the back of the attached buildings, said Battalion Chief John Rozas.
The blaze was under control in an hour, but the 10 firefighters were sent to the hospitals with minor burns and sprains.
Eight tenants, including three children, were treated at area hospitals for smoke inhalation.
"I don't know what I'm going to do," said Fashion Unlimited owner Baldev Raj, 39, who alerted some tenants to the fire. "Right now, I'm so upset."
Fire marshals were still probing the blaze last night to determine whether it was deliberately set.
Tempers outside the burning building heated up when a woman on her way to a dentist's office with her daughter balked at cops who tried to reroute her.
Rosemarie Forrest, 34, was given a summons for disorderly conduct after a confrontation with a cop became physical.
"The police pulled my shirt over my head and showed the whole store," Forrest said. "My head is still spinning."
Police said later Forrest was asked to leave the scene numerous times but refused.
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