A massive fire ripped through a commercial building in Red Hook, Brooklyn overnight, causing extensive damage.
Residents say part of the building was housing artwork for an upcoming show, and that some of their work may be destroyed.
The fire broke out around 11:35 p.m. Wednesday at 481 Van Brunt Street, right by the waterfront. The flames could be seen in the night sky from miles away.
“This building is a very large, four-story commercial building. Upon arrival, we had heavy fire on the second, third, fourth floor and through the roof,” FDNY Chief of Operations Kevin Woods said on the scene early Thursday morning. “Due to the amount of fire and the structural stability of the building, we removed all members and attacked the fire from the exterior.”
Firefighters are battling a five-alarm fire at a warehouse in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
CBS News New York
The fire grew from a two-alarm to five-alarm response, with more than 250 firefighters on the scene. The back of the building is along the water, so firefighters called in a marine unit to help battle the flames.
It’s still a very active response, as crews work to get the flames and smoke under control. Woods said they expect to be there for the rest of the day Thursday.
“We had extensive damage to this building. We had the roof collapse, and we also had the fourth floor collapse. So we will have structural engineers evaluate that,” he said.
The city’s Office of Emergency Management is asking residents in the area to close their windows to avoid the smoke and to expect traffic delays.
Woods said two firefighters suffered minor injuries but are expected to be OK.
At this point, there’s no word on what sparked the fire. The fire marshals have been notified and will investigate.
Check back soon for the latest updates on this developing story.
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