FDNY: Large fire causes building to collapse in Bed-Stuy

Officials say the call came in around 5:47 a.m. to the building on Nostrand and Gates avenues.

News 12 Staff

Feb 7, 2022, 12:02 PM

Updated 968 days ago

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The FDNY says a massive fire early Monday morning in Bed-Stuy caused an entire building to collapse.
Officials say the call came in around 5:47 a.m. to the building on Nostrand and Gates avenues. More than 100 firefighters responded to the scene and spent hours battling heavy smoke and flames.
The fire was brought under control, but firefighters remained on the scene pouring water on smoldering brick and rubble.
The Department of Buildings said the structure was a construction site that was being turned into a residential building but has been under a stop work order since 2019.
Still, neighbors said they know seven homeless people stayed inside the building periodically, some of whom may still be unaccounted for.
DOB crews were at the scene to conduct a structural stability inspection. Agencies at the scene needed to get down below all the collapsed rubble to look at the foundation to make sure nobody was stuck under there.
The various agencies told News 12 that the building was abandoned, but one woman whom News 12 spoke with said she was living inside along with six others and that she does not know where they are.
The Red Cross says there have been no evacuees.
According to DOB, five neighboring buildings are now under full vacate orders and several of them were damaged by the flames. One building was demolished for public safety.
Crews cleaned up and secured the area overnight so it can be safe to open for pedestrians.
Many neighbors though have expressed their concern for the church directly next door that they hope was not damaged.