"The blaze broke out at 481 Van Brunt Street, part of a long circa 1860s and 1870s four-story brick complex known as the Beard and Robinson Stores, at around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 17, officials said. Flames quickly engulfed the top floors of the building and spread to the roof, forcing firefighters to evacuate."
"While some art survived the fire, many of the tenants "lost everything," as more than one expressed in Instagram posts. One of these was Lanoba Design, the popular 10-year-old importer and retailer of Danish mid-century modern furniture that moved from New Jersey to the Red Hook warehouse last year. "Everything is gone," said Lanoba co-founder Lars Noah Balderskilde, including their inventory and workshop, in a video posted to Instagram. He and his husband and co-founder, David Singh, are looking for a new space to start over as soon as possible, he said."
A five-alarm fire broke out at 481 Van Brunt Street, a circa 1860s–1870s four-story brick complex known as the Beard and Robinson Stores, around 11:30 p.m. on September 17. Flames engulfed the top floors and spread to the roof, and the heavy-timber construction allowed rapid fire spread as structural members failed. More than 200 firefighters worked through the night and two sustained minor injuries. The building's roof collapsed. The Civil War-era warehouse featured arched openings with iron shutters, stone walls, and massive beams that once stored coffee and cocoa for canal markets. Dozens of independent retailers, artists, and makers faced catastrophic losses, and some tenants are already seeking new spaces.
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