Fire Consumes Historic G'point Warehouses

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May 3, 2006, NY Times -- A fire roared through a network of abandoned, historic warehouses on the Brooklyn waterfront yesterday with a speed and ferocity that challenged and exhausted hundreds of firefighters, and led fire marshals to suspect arson. The blaze burned all day as it consumed a former rope factory on West Street near the site of the Continental Iron Works in Greenpoint, which launched the ironclad warship Monitor for the Union 144 years ago. The fire blackened the sky above northern Brooklyn with thick smoke shot through at its base with bright flames a block deep. The plume could be seen for miles. "It was like a flamethrower," said John Czaplinski, who lives nearby on Noble Street. "The fire was leaping from one building to another."
Blaze Levels Historic Warehouses [NY Times]
Fireball on the Skyline [NY Post]
Bravest Face 10-Alarm Inferno [NY Daily News]
Photo #1 by Digital Front
Photo #2 by Jeremy Schoenherr-Lachance
Photo #3 by jukeboxgraduate

Comments

This is truly awful - it's costing the city millions. I hope they treat this arson investigation seriously and if it leads back to Guttman, fines to compensate city for firemen and environmental assessment to be done.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 3, 2006 10:28 AM

god, i hope they get these gutman FU*KS by the balls and dont let go!

it makes me so sad to see this happen. i live in greenpoint and i often ride my bike past these buildings and look at them in awe. they were so huge and silent but seem to have seen so much and hold so much history. another thing that was amazing were the wooden block paved sidewalks that spaned the length of of the blocks infront of these wearhouses. probably the only example in nyc. i'm sure it's all gone now.

i would always thought that they would turn these beautiful buildings into residences. i did notice though that it would take a lot of investing and work because they were in really bad shape.

apparently, these gutman fu*ks have had property go up in flames overnight in dumbo too. i am undoubtedly sold on this arson theory.

Posted by: newyorker at May 3, 2006 10:58 AM

The wood-block sidewalk was reportedly ripped up about a month or so ago.

And yes, the buildings (particularly where the fire started) were in very bad shape. This was not the case as recently as 10 years ago, but in that time there has been no protection or upkeep.

Posted by: Halden at May 3, 2006 11:09 AM

I live in Greenpoint also, and experienced the terrible stink this morning on my way to work. I called 311, and everybody else in Greenpoint, Williamsburg and ALL points south (where the wind was headed this AM) should call in, maybe we'll get some air sampling done if there are enough complaints. To the phone, internet blog fans!

Posted by: Taylor at May 3, 2006 11:21 AM

must have been hit by lightning

Posted by: Anonymous at May 3, 2006 11:41 AM

I know, let's hire the same smellologists that say that the Newtown Creek Sewage Treatment plant smell is highly reduced to perform the air quality analysis post the largest fire in the City's recent history in a neighborhood that is causing every RE developer and cronie to smack their lips with salivating anticipation.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 3, 2006 12:02 PM

GUTTMAN IS A DOMESTIC TERRORIST!
Doesn't anyone get it yet?
The inferno almost blew Greenpoint off the map. He would have accomplished what the terrorists wanted, only much, much easier.

Posted by: Anon at May 3, 2006 1:26 PM

And a propos de rien, I learned from reading about this fire that the St George Hotel had burned in August, 1995 -- I had no idea, as I wasn't living in this country at the time. But it's so funny, because I've been amazed since I came back at how the Studio Building has been cleaned up and how the building on Clark St was converted into student housing. Now I know why. And I was just there last night, wondering who lives in what was the SRO part, with the entrance on Henry St. It still apppears to be a residential hotel, but all I saw hanging out there last night in front of it was kids. Anybody know who lives there now? Is it still an SRO? What are the rates like?

Posted by: babs at May 3, 2006 2:12 PM

I agree with 1:26. If Guttman is behind this then I think this act of arson is tantamount to a terrorist attack on the city. For his own selfish interests on the waterfront he imperilled the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of citizens in surrounding neighborhoods. I am terrified that such wantonly greedy interests could impact and imperil the city like that. I wish the FBI would get on this. Seriously.

Posted by: anon2 at May 3, 2006 2:15 PM

What about the mysterious explosion noise lots of Greenpointers heard on Monday night (the night before the fire broke out on Tues early AM? I've read that the security guard left (at some time). Would be interesting to see if that was before or after that sound...I think it was close to 8 PMish...

It seems too coincidental considering...

Posted by: Anonymous at May 3, 2006 3:31 PM

Why would Guttman want to burn it down??

Posted by: Anonymous at May 4, 2006 5:21 PM

anon. 5:21. do you live in the real world? the answer is MONEY! greed will get you every time, but sad to say, he will never go to jail and he will continue burning down buildings and possibly killing people all in the name of development.

Posted by: Anonymous at May 4, 2006 8:19 PM

What about Baruch Singer?

Posted by: Anonymous at May 5, 2006 10:42 AM

I am looking to interview folks in greenpoint regarding the air quality and environmental effects of the fire (for an article in local wburg/gpt magazine). Please contact me if you are a resident or environmental activist or expert. avadakota@gmail.com

Posted by: dakota at May 13, 2006 2:07 PM

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May 3, 2006

Fire Consumes Historic G'point Warehouses

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