Locals Help Artists, Small Businesses After Red Hook Fire

"A day after a five-alarm fire tore through a Red Hook warehouse, locals were beginning to look toward recovery - even as they grappled with the extent of the loss. The historic warehouse at 481 Van Brunt Street was quiet on Friday, said artist Deborah Ugoretz, who rents an artist studio in a portion of the building unaffected by fire. Broken glass and burnt debris littered the street, and most of the businesses remained closed."

"The four-story complex comprises a number of separate buildings constructed over decades. Buildings 7 through 11, which span from 475 Van Brunt Street to 499 Van Brunt Street, were badly damaged, and the Department of Buildings on Friday issued full vacate orders for all five buildings. The roofs on buildings 9 and 10 collapsed, as did a section of one building's fourth floor, per DOB and the FDNY."

""It's a complete destruction," said David Singh, co-founder of Danish mid-century modern vintage furniture store Lanoba Design. "There's not one thing to save. Not a screwdriver, not anything. The entire inventory is wiped out." Singh and his husband, Lars Noah Balderskilde, opened the store just last summer. It was filled with vintage Danish furniture sourced by Balderskilde in his native Denmark and restored once it reached the warehouse."

A five-alarm fire engulfed a historic timber-framed stone and brick warehouse complex in Red Hook, burning from late Wednesday night into the morning and flaring up again Thursday evening. The four-story complex contains multiple buildings added over decades; Buildings 7 through 11 (475–499 Van Brunt Street) suffered heavy damage, with roofs on buildings 9 and 10 collapsing and part of a fourth floor failing. The Department of Buildings issued full vacate orders for the affected structures. Streets near the site were littered with broken glass and burnt debris, most businesses stayed closed, and some tenants reported total loss of inventory and studios.

Read at Brownstoner