Brooklyn Boro

Smoky fire breaks out in Brooklyn Heights highrise, panicking residents

March 6, 2022 Mary Frost
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Multiple FDNY vehicles responded to a smoky fire which broke out on the fourth floor of a highrise at 75 Henry St. in Brooklyn Heights at roughly 10 p.m. Friday night. More than a dozen emergency vehicles lined Cadman Plaza West at the rear of the building, including ambulances, pumper trucks and hook and ladders.

As acrid smoke spread throughout the 32-story co-op, many worried residents ventured into the hallways, some in bathrobes and slippers, to see if they would be required to evacuate. Tenants in proximity to the affected apartment were alerted via the building’s intercom by the building’s doorman, Neil Celentano.

Firefighters told tenants to stay inside their apartments and block the irritating fumes from coming under their door with a towel.

According an FDNY member at the scene, the fire broke out in a unit that had been under renovation. Though there was a great amount of smoke, the blaze did not spread beyond the living room of the two bedroom unit. There were no serious injuries reported at the time of this report.

Inspectors will have to make a determination of the exact cause of the blaze, according to FDNY 31st Battalion Chief Simon Ressner, who was at the scene. 

Residents who were signed up for email notices received a statement from the building manager which read in part, “The fire department is currently at the building dealing with a smoke issue that developed on the fourth floor — everything is under control and currently no evacuation is deemed necessary at the present time as the incident has been contained to one unit on the fourth floor.” 

The owners of the affected unit have been renovating the apartment for six months and there were construction materials inside, according to one building employee. 

The Brooklyn Eagle has reached out to FDNY for further information. (See below for an eye witness account from a building resident.)

EMTs stand ready on the sidewalk on Cadman Plaza West. No serious injuries were reported. Photo: Beth Heller Photo

 

An eye witness account of the 75 Henry St. fire by building resident Beth Eisgrau-Heller

It was about 10:15 and I caught a whiff of an acrid burning, almost electrical smell. I went searching for the source and that’s when the fire trucks came screaming down Cadman. My living room faces Cadman and we hear sirens all the time. So it was shocking when they stopped in front of our building. We knew to stay put though. My husband and son went out on the balcony as I grabbed my camera. We’re on the 12th floor and I’m afraid of heights. So I had my husband hold me in a bear hug as I photographed the scene.  

The ladder truck pulled up on the sidewalk and extend its ladder to the 4th floor. Through my zoom lens, I witnessed the EMTs caring for two residents on stretchers. After a tense ten minutes or so, they seemed more stunned than anything else.  It was all very orderly and over within half an hour. One of my friends told several women via text chain she has minor flooding. So there were definitely flames extinguished. I just hope the damage isn’t too extensive. Most importantly, building management confirmed our neighbors are uninjured.

There hasn’t been a fire at 75 Henry in the 10+ years we have lived here, until now. The two recent fires in Brooklyn Heights are still very fresh in my mind. It’s sobering to think about how quickly things can change. As always, I’m grateful to the FDNY. They are real-life superheroes.

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