May 2nd 2006 Spectacular Greenpoint Terminal 10 Alarm Fire in Brooklyn, NY #24
by Steven Spak
Title
May 2nd 2006 Spectacular Greenpoint Terminal 10 Alarm Fire in Brooklyn, NY #24
Artist
Steven Spak
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The Greenpoint Terminal Fire. A group of large warehouses, mostly vacant, went up in flames on May 2, 2006. The huge Spectacular fire had the largest response since 9/11/01.
Box 77-10-036 went to Ten Alarms.
At about 5:33 am, a passerby noticed a fire in the roof area of one of the large warehouse buildings. Brooklyn box 036 was transmitted for a fire in the roof of a warehouse, that was part of the former Greenpoint Terminal. This group of connected buildings were vacant with squatters and artists and skate board riders using the buildings, before that, the complex was used a shipping terminal. It was initially built as a rope factory and interconnected warehouses.
The Arriving first due company gave a 10-75, for a fire located at West Street between Noble and Oak Streets on the Greenpoint waterfront. The fire was growing in size. The buildings, built around 1890 were made of heavy timber and brick construction. Additional alarms were transmitted as conditions worsened.
I got up at around 6:00am, I started to get ready for work. I showered and got dressed and sat down to have a cup of coffee. I was watching the news on our kitchen TV. The newscaster said there was a fire in a building in Greenpoint, and then news chopper showed the fire. The fire was in a building that was in group of connected buildings. There was a large smoke condition coming out of a building in the Greenpoint terminal complex. I know the buildings, I’ve been to a 3 Alarm fire, in a meat packing plant, years ago. The buildings were more than a hundred years old and made of heavy timber construction. I got my camera gear and headed out the door and started out for the fire. Traffic was heavy on the west bound LIE, so I took the HOV lane. I took my shield out just in case a Police car would see me, but none did. I did about 70 MPH and got to the LIE at Greenpoint avenue in about 35 minutes. As I went over the Greenpoint Ave draw bridge, I could see the huge smoke condition. When I arrived at the scene, I parked a couple of blocks away, so I wouldn’t get blocked in. I walked down to West Street and walked towards the fire. I passed the rear of a long warehouse, that had bridges that were attached to buildings across the street. I walked down the street towards the river. A fire condition could be seen in the rear of the warehouse. The flames were not blowing out, but I could tell, the building was heavily involved in fire. I walked around to the front of the fire building. The fire condition was incredible. Two tower ladders were in operation, the streams were turning to steam. The Fire continued to grow and was heading towards the West street side of the building. The chiefs were concerned about collapse and ordered the Tower Ladders to back away. The fire was spectacular, there was a huge fire load. A building near the river was also engulfed in flames. The fire continued to spread to an attached building. That building close to West street, started to have smoke coming out of all its crevices. Tower ladders were repositioned in order to fight the fire and protect the exposures. Flames started to appear out the windows and roof of the exposed building. I moved to a yard across West street that was a part of the Greenpoint terminal. I had a ¾ view of the fire buildings. Numerous alarms were transmitted for this fire. In all 10 Alarms and over 350 firefighters, with over 70 pieces of apparatus, were needed to contain this spectacular blaze.
Mayor Bloomberg recently had the zoning from commercial use changed to residential use along the Greenpoint and Williamsburg East river waterfront. This greatly increased the value of the properties. The Municipal Art Society had asked the city’s Landmark Preservation Commission to consider the Warehouses and the area as a designated historic district.
That would be bad news for future development on the site. The fire occurred before any action to landmark the site began. The fire was an arson fire, flammable liquid was found at the scene. One person, a 59 Y/O homeless alcoholic, had confessed to setting the blaze by burning off the insulation of copper wires. One former Fire Marshall said he was set up as the fall guy. The man soon unconfessed, He also had an alibi. On the morning of the fire he was working for a contractor in upstate NY which was verified and the case was dismissed.
This was one of the most spectacular fires that I responded to. I got there at the right time. This fire was the largest fire in a decade, other than 9/11/01. Once a fire gets going in a heavy timber, and brick commercial building, it’s almost impossible to put out.
The only reason I went to the fire, was because I knew the buildings. The Helicopter shot that I saw on the news showed a moderate smoke condition coming from the middle of the complex. I then knew that it would be difficult for firefighters to put out this fire, and I was right.
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February 27th, 2020
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