A five-alarm fire that burned throughout Wednesday night and into Thursday afternoon destroyed a massive 25,000 square-foot collaborative artists’ studio and exhibition space in a former coffee warehouse, officials said.
Firefighters got the call about the burning building on Van Brunt St. in Red Hook around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, and small pockets of fire were still aflame at noon Thursday, according to FDNY.
“This building is a very large, four story commercial building,” fire,” Chief of Operations Kevin Woods said at a press conference after the fire was brought under control.
“Upon arrival, we had heavy fire on the second, third, fourth floor, and through the roof,” he said. “Due to the amount of fire and the structural stability of the building, we removed our members and attacked the fire from the exterior, from the front and the rear with large caliber streams. The rear of this building is on the water, so we called in Marine 9, and we used some of their large caliber streams to extinguish the fire.”
The building was home to the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists’ Coalition, which provides “opportunities for artists to show their work, develop professionally, and engage the public in the experience of art,” according to its website.
“We are currently working with authorities to assess the damage and impact resulting from last night’s fire. As soon as we are able to access our space and confirm the situation we will share the information with you. Thank you for being a part of this community,” the statement posted on the site asserted.
The fire was under control by 6 a.m. Thursday, officials said.
Two firefighters were treated with minor injuries at area hospitals.
Fire marshals are investigating the cause of the inferno.
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