Firefighters still spraying Red Hook warehouse more than 24 hours after five-alarm fire

FDNY says more than 250 firefighters and EMS members were called in to battle the blaze.

Edric Robinson

Sep 19, 2025, 10:15 AM

Updated 2 hr ago

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More than a day after flames tore through a massive warehouse in Red Hook, firefighters are still on ladders spraying water into the building Friday morning.
The fire started around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday at 481 Van Brunt St. and quickly grew to a five-alarm fire by 2:30 a.m. Thursday. FDNY says more than 250 firefighters and EMS members were called in to battle the blaze.
Video from the scene shows heavy flames ripping through the roof and top floors. The warehouse, which is more than 150 years old and built with heavy timber, made it easier for the fire to spread quickly. Officials say the roof collapsed, part of the fourth floor gave way, and two firefighters were treated for minor injuries.
FDNY says they even used drones with thermal cameras to track hot spots, guiding firefighters on ladders and even a fire boat blasting water from the bay.
The warehouse is home to artists and small businesses, and many are still processing the loss.
Adam Wexler, who owns Resolution Audio Visual and Stereo, says he’s already worried about what comes next.
“I'm concerned about being able to get back in the building in some capacity and get back to business. We can work remotely but the reality is that we have a lot of equipment and things staged for our customers projects inside the building which might be a loss and can be replaced but ya know we’re hard workers we want to get back to work,” Wexler said.
For now, firefighters remain on scene, watching closely for flare-ups. FDNY officials say structural engineers still need to inspect the warehouse before fire marshals can go inside to figure out how it started.