Massive 7-Alarm Fire Rips Through Brooklyn Warehouse, 4 Million Boxes of Records Gone
Firefighters were battling a stubborn seven-alarm inferno that ripped through a Brooklyn waterfront warehouse Saturday afternoon, fueled by mountains of records from city agencies.
The FDNY was first called to the CitiStorage facility on N. 11th St. by the East River in Williamsburg about 4:30 a.m. for a small fire in shelving unit, officials said. By the time emergency responders arrived, sprinklers had nearly extinguished the fire, which firefighters fully doused.
But they were called back to the building about 6:25 a.m. and found the warehouse consumed by flames.
Eight hours later, more than 200 firefighters were still trying to bring the blaze under control.
Fire roared through the roof of the warehouse and smoke plumes could be seen from throughout the city and beyond.
CitiStorage stores some 4 million boxes of records at the Williamsburg warehouse and in Jersey City, according to its website, and is the exclusive supplier of records management services for the city’s public hospitals.
The company also stores records for the Administration for Children’s Services and for New York State courts.