Fourth of July Fire on Wythe and North 9th

In addition to the fireworks there was a large fire on Wythe and North 9th last night. The fairly strong winds blew smoke blew throughout the neighborhood. Firefighters responded quickly and had the flames under control within a short time, but it took hours to completely put the blaze out.

The site was the home of Rosenwach Tanks, where they built wood water tanks, the kind you see on roofs throughout Brooklyn. No one was injured--the fire was allegedly sparked by an illegal fireworks display early in the evening. Nearby buildings were not affected.

Some great photos by everyplace:





(You can see more here, and some video here. These are from the very early moments of the blaze--as I said, the flames were under control pretty quickly, though hotspots and sparks kept the firefighters busy for some time.)

Ironically, the fire was across the street from Engine 212, the firehouse that was closed a few years ago under much community protest. The firehouse is now the future home of the Northside Town Hall and Cultural Center, a project of the People's Firehouse and NAG.

Updates: More info on Gothamist and Brooklyn 11211.