2 firefighters injured in massive fire at Red Hook warehouse
The blaze began around 11:25 p.m. Wednesday at 481 Van Brunt St. and climbed to a fifth alarm by 2:33 a.m., bringing more than 250 FDNY and EMS members.
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A massive fire at a waterfront warehouse in Red Hook flared up again Thursday afternoon, with smoke restarting from the roof and firefighters briefly turning the hoses back on before standing down to monitor hot spots.
Two firefighters have minor injuries, officials said.
The blaze began around 11:25 p.m. at 481 Van Brunt St. on Wednesday night and climbed to a fifth alarm by 2:33 a.m., bringing more than 250 FDNY and EMS members.
FDNY Chief of Operations Kevin Woods said crews arrived in under three minutes to find heavy fire on the second, third, and fourth floors and through the roof. Because of the danger, firefighters pulled out and fought from the exterior, using large-caliber streams from the street and Marine 9, the department’s fire boat, from the bay. FDNY also used drones with thermal cameras to spot hot spots and guide where to put water.
“The building was built in 1870, so the building's over 150 years old. This type of construction is called heavy timber. It's all wood, heavy, timber minimum 8 x8 columns and girders. So once these structural members start going, it's the fire takes off rather quickly," said Woods.
The warehouse—built in 1870 with heavy-timber construction—sustained extensive damage, including a roof collapse and a partial fourth-floor collapse, according to FDNY. Structural engineers must evaluate the building’s stability before investigators can safely go inside to determine the cause.
The historic building is home to artists' studios and small businesses. Artists like Samantha Demaryela-Schwartz say that while the community is devastated, she is glad everyone is OK.
"Objects are material things. And I'm really glad that everybody is safe and OK. Art lives within us and through us and we’ll all keep making work," said Demaryela-Schwartz.
As of Thursday night, fire investigation units remain on scene, Van Brunt Street near the warehouse is restricted, and operations are ongoing. Officials say flare-ups like this are not unusual after a fire of this size.
