A major fire on Staten Island, following reports of explosions and heavy smoke coming from Richmond Terrace, provoked an extensive emergency response on Friday.
Emergency crews rushed to Richmond Terrace on Staten Island after a major fire and reported explosions triggered a large-scale FDNY response (Unsplash)
After reports of an explosion and intense fire at a shipyard building along Richmond Terrace, the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) declared a third alarm and deployed large numbers of firefighters to the scene.
According to local outlet SILive, the fire drew a major response from the FDNY, with numerous fire units, emergency vehicles and police personnel rushing to the scene as smoke became visible across portions of Staten Island.
FDNY declared “All Hands” code
The incident happened at 3075 Richmond Terrace, where local media and emergency alert accounts first reported an explosion in a confined-space emergency involving shipyard workers.
Around 3:40 p.m., emergency radio reports reported the fire on Richmond Terrace between Mersereau and Andros avenues.
Initial reports from emergency monitoring accounts suggested the incident may have begun with an explosion in a confined-space emergency inside the Mariners Harbor. NYC Fire Wire reported on X that two workers were trapped inside the building.
Confined-space emergencies are considered among the most dangerous industrial rescue situations because of risks involving fire, toxic gases, structural collapse and limited access for rescue crews.
The FDNY escalated the response to a third alarm as conditions intensified, bringing additional firefighters, EMS crews and specialized rescue personnel to the waterfront industrial site.