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Worst Fire Since 9/11 Rages On In Brooklyn
May 02, 2006

Firefighters are still fighting the city's worst fire since 9/11 at a vacant warehouse along the East River waterfront in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

The fire started around 5:30 Tuesday morning, then spread quickly, as hundreds of firefighters worked to gain control of the situation. The Fire Department expects the fire won't be completely extinguished for another 24 hours.

"They're warehouses and there are materials in there that are very flammable,” said Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta. “You can see the buildings themselves are all fully involved. And there was a significant collapse during the fire as well. A lot of radiant heat from the fire, so it was a difficult fire to fight. And our firefighters had to be careful how close they got."

The fire broke out at the site of the old Greenpoint Terminal Market at West and Noble Streets. The commissioner said they won't evacuate the area, but asks people to stay away as much as possible to make it easier for the firefighters.

About eight firefighters have minor injuries so far.

Smoke from the fire could be seen for miles. Rubberneckers on the FDR Drive and the long island expressway were given an unobstructed view during the morning commute. But residents said they're scared about the flames spreading.

"There's a lumberyard two blocks down, there's a park across the street, there's furniture companies over here to the right of the fire – so it's a major concern now,” said one area resident. “As you can see, it's a nice, big blaze now."

"It's scary. I don't want the flames to jump to my building, so I'm a little concerned right now," added another.

The Fire Department said there was no evidence that there were any occupants inside the building at the time.

The fire is being investigated as suspicious.