The blaze broke out at 481 Van Brunt St., which houses dozens of artist studios and small businesses, at around 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 17, officials said. Flames quickly engulfed the top floors of the building and spread to the roof, forcing firefighters to evacuate. This type of construction is called heavy timber, it's all wood so, once these structural members start going, the fire takes over rather quickly, said FDNY Assistant Deputy Chief Kevin Woods.
Officials said the blaze started on the first floor of a three-story private residence at 205 27th St. in Greenwood Heights, just after 10:20 p.m. on Aug. 31. Engine Company 228 and Tower Ladder 122 rushed to the scene, finding heavy smoke billowing from the first and second floors of the dwelling. Just over 100 FDNY members responded to the blaze, using three hoselines to knock down the main body of the fire. No one was found during a search inside the premises, officials said.
City crews flooded the scene early in the morning, drilling into the street and working urgently to restore power. According to the FDNY, the incident began when the contractor hit a high-voltage feeder line, sparking a transformer fire at 365 Bridge St. The fire prompted a major emergency response, with 12 FDNY units and 60 firefighters rushing in to contain the situation.
