Reports of smoke are coming in from all over the neighborhood... fire reported on Seventh Street and Avenue C... more to come... no word just yet of injuries or the extent of the damage...
There was a report of a fire early this morning at 186 First Ave. between East 11th Street and East 12th Street … several readers who live nearby reported smelling smoke…
The official @FDNY Twitter account notes the fire at 3:23 a.m.
MAN ALL HANDS 186 1 AVE, MULTIPLE DWELLING TOP FLR FIRE,
Following up on our previous post... there was a heavy police and fire presence on 10th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C this afternoon. One witness reported a fire. According to a commenter: "I just spoke to someone working on site who is the 'board up guy'... he said a man set his apartment on fire right before shooting himself." (Please keep in mind that none of this has been officially confirmed by police or fire personnel.)
Reliable sources have confirmed this story... The man was believed to be living in an apartment on the top floor... more details will follow... Police are currently at the scene, and are remaining tight-lipped — not even responding to queries from neighbors here.
While standing here, several fire trucks pulled up... but the crews didn't stay long...
More to come...
Patrick Hedlund has more information at DNAinfo. Per his story: "Authorities at the scene said that a man on the building's fourth floor, where the fire started, had shot himself in the head and died. Police said they didn't know if there was a link between the shooting and the fire. The NYPD and FDNY could not confirm that information."
We've heard reports in the last 20 minutes of a fire on East 11th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... one reader said that the FDNY told neighbors that the blaze was contained, but they needed to be prepared to leave just in case...
We'll post updates when they become available...
Updated 10:12
The official FDNY Twitter account puts the fire at 227 E. 11th St.
MAN ALL HANDS 227 E11 ST, MULTIPLE DWELLING FIRE ON 4TH FLR, UNDER CONTROL
— FDNY (@FDNY) December 17, 2013
There are reports of a fire in the Union Square subway stop... no word how extensive this might be... possibly contained to one small area on the south side of East 14th Street outside the Duane Reade ... am posting tweets/photos as people post them to Twitter...
@evgrieve what's with the fire at union sq subway station? I saw flames come up through the grates on the sidewalk!
— Meredith Franks (@mfranks715) July 20, 2012
Fuck, something on fire in Union Square & it's rumbling & who knows what all. Anyone know scoop? Either way, I'm outta here!
— Patty Garcia (@opattyg) July 20, 2012
Union Square subway entrance on 14th and Union Sq E is basically on fire & making exploding noises.
— Remington Tonar (@remtonar) July 20, 2012
Fire in the subway station at Union Square. Walked out through tons of nasty smoke! Hooray!
— Megan (@meganlibrarian) July 20, 2012
According to a building resident, the fire started on the first floor, with some damage in the basement and on the second floor. The Red Cross was on the scene and provided a temporary place to stay for displaced residents. The fire marshal is expected on the scene today.
This morning, the front door was propped open. The interior smelled like smoke.
The only remnant of a fire was a piece of charred wood...
Residents on the upper floors were allowed back in. Per the EVG reader: "It smells pretty acrid, so I'm bunking elsewhere for a few nights to try to let everything air out."
As of this morning, the tenants had yet to hear from their landlord.
Firefighters from about five ladder companies are still working to contain a blaze on East 14th Street near Avenue A. The fire broke out just after 10 a.m. on the roof of a one-story building and became three alarms about an hour later.
At least four businesses including a pizza restaurant, a convenience store, a hair salon and a Jackson Hewitt tax preparation office were damaged in the fire.
No serious injuries were reported.
The owner of the 24-hour convenience store said he smelled smoke and heard commotion next door at Pete's-A-Place pizzeria, where workers were making renovations, and ran over to help put out the fire.
"At first when I smelled the smoke I thought it was a small fire so I could help with that one. I could really stop the fire," said the convenience store owner. "But when we went upstairs, the flames were very, very big, very intense."
There is no word yet on what caused the fire.
Streets in the area of the fire have been temporarily closed.
3:56 p.m. The Postreports that up to 30 people are injured. The FDNY is trying to contain the fires from spreading to more buildings on the west side of Second Avenue between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place...
The FDNY arrived on the scene to find a sushi restaurant on the lower level collapsed and smoke pluming throughout the building. Then flames began shooting through the roof and quickly spread to a neighboring building.
Firefighters were pouring water onto the flames, but they had to pull back due to the intensity, and fire officials expected one or both of the buildings would eventually fall.
[Photo via @mesh_mellow]
4:20 p.m. The scene now looking north on Second Avenue by peter radley...
The scene from East Fifth Street and Second Avenue...
4:22 p.m. The scene from East Seventh Street and First Avenue via John Iz...
4:33 p.m. The scene from East Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue via John Iz...
A preliminary investigation indicated the fire and building collapse was due to a gas explosion, the official said.
The scene created chaos in the East Village, a neighborhood filled with apartment buildings, restaurants and bars. Perry Kroll, who lives a block away, said he felt his whole building shake, and all of his neighbors spilled out into the street.
“There’s an epic smoke column rising from the block,” he said. “I can see really big flames everywhere and chunks of ash falling from the sky. It looks like a building just blew out into the street. It’s just absolute chaos.”
5:10 p.m.
5:13 p.m. From The Neighborhood School on East Third Street between Avenue A and First Avenue
Dear Families,
By now I am sure you've heard about the building collapse/fire in the Lower East Side. Our school will be used as a Red Cross Shelter for displaced families starting tonight. If you, or anyone you know needs any kind of assistance, please let me know.
5:20 p.m. The view now from 190 E. Seventh St. via John Iz...
5:23 p.m.
Video shows East Village building collapsing after explosion and intense fire. (courtesy of Daniel Berkowitz.) Watch updates LIVE on NY1: http://bit.ly/1ACyxrg
The Red Cross is setting up at The Neighborhood School on East Third Street… we haven't heard anything about donations for those residents who lost their homes this afternoon…
[Photo by Yenta Laureate]
6:15 p.m.
Clarification from FDNY. blast inside 121 2nd ave. that five story building and 123 next door collapsed, damage to 119 and 125. #1010wins
A powerful explosion in the East Village on Thursday caused two buildings to collapse and ignited a large fire that quickly spread to neighboring buildings, leaving at least a dozen people injured, at least three of them critically.
Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York, speaking at a news conference at the scene, said that “preliminary evidence suggests a gas-related explosion” was caused by plumbing and gas work being done at 121 Second Avenue, near Seventh Street.
The explosion and ensuing fire destroyed that building and led to the collapse of an adjacent building, 123 Second Avenue.
Two other buildings were damaged, and one of those buildings was still in danger of collapse, officials said.
The buildings that house Pommes Frites (No. 123) and Sushi Park (No. 121) have been destroyed.
