Big Fire on Marcy Avenue Last Night
A reader sends in this report from the front lines of a fire last night on Marcy Avenue in northern Bed Stuy: Last night at about 2am, my house which is around the corner from this scene, filled with smoke. I thought my place was on fire until I ran outside and saw that a…
A reader sends in this report from the front lines of a fire last night on Marcy Avenue in northern Bed Stuy:
Last night at about 2am, my house which is around the corner from this scene, filled with smoke. I thought my place was on fire until I ran outside and saw that a smoke plume was falling directly onto my house from a fire around the corner. This building had been emptied and sealed recently and put up for sale. It was in awful condition and had no charm or character so I think it was being sold as a building site. Its right next to an empty lot which makes also makes it attractive as a good development site. No other structures were damaged from what I saw. The fire
was in the back of the house as far as I can tell because most of the smoke was pouring out of the few unsealed windows. Three ladder trucks, two pumpers and about five other trucks fought the fire.
Was anyone else on the scene?
GMAP
Then there’s the asshole owner who pays some teenagers or homeless people $100 to torch it.Yeah, we know who you are
I once woke up in the middle of a summer night to lights flashing on my wall and the smell of smoke coming in through the window. Threw on my clothes and ran down the stairs to find all of my neighbors watching the fire department put out the fire in the building next door, but in the apartment next to mine. I asked the landlord, “you couldn’t knock on my door as you went out?” Quite the adrenaline rush….
Empty buildings attract destructive teenagers and homeless people who build fires. Or of course, any asshole owner who neglects and abandons a building to the detriment of its neighbors is not going to be above burning it down if he’ll benefit financially from it.
Speaking of empty abandoned buildings, this is exactly the danger in letting neglected houses and buildings stand forever (like the one on 7th Ave and 2nd Street in Park Slope, or the house on Berkeley between 5th and 6th, just to name a couple). Fires can start that would take out the adjoining buildings. It’s only a matter of time before that happens on a prime block of Park Slope, and the neighboring victims of these crap buildings sue the hell out of the city AND the owner or lease holder of the derelict building. Actually, I think they should go ahead sue them now. For decreasing property values.
smells like teen arson!