Updating: Fire engulfs southeast corner of 7th Street and 2nd Avenue; Middle Collegiate Church destroyed

Updated 11 a.m and 2 p.m. The FDNY is investigating the cause of the fire. There are published reports that four firefighters suffered minor injuries. This link has reaction from Middle Collegiate Church officials. Here's a statement from local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera... and an update from the FDNY.

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The FDNY is responding to a four-alarm (now five) fire at the southeast corner of Seventh Street and Second Avenue ... early reports (the first came in at 4:30 a.m.) is that the fire has destroyed the currently vacant 48 E. Seventh St. — the site of another blaze back in February. 

Early reports indicate that the fire has spread to the neighboring Middle Collegiate Church... no injuries have been reported...

4-alarm fire in 2nd Ave and 7 Street #EastVillage inside a vacant building and spreads to Middle Collegiate Church. FD reports no injuries and operations ongoing—live report at 6a. @evgrieve pic.twitter.com/qiK5c3H3OI

— 𝐌𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐍. 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 (@MylesMill) December 5, 2020

... other videos show the church engulfed in flames...

Woken by smoke and embers - Middle Collegiate Church burns in East Village - devastating. Was fire next door last Feb that gutted building on E7th St. pic.twitter.com/H4XUgnsC4R

— Revolting Lesbians (@RevoltingDykes) December 5, 2020

From my roof:@middlechurch fire, 5:30am #eastvillagenyc pic.twitter.com/4kTqraiiAU

— Duke Todd (@DukeToddIsAlive) December 5, 2020

Check back for more updates... 

Top photo by EVG reader 2ndAvenueSilverPanther

Updated 9 a.m. 

Back from the scene... the fire is under control... and now you can begin to see the extent of the damage...

Updated 10 a.m. A 7th Street neighbor shared these photos...

... and from Alexander Romanovich...

Updated 10:15 a.m. There are now concerns that the church, erected in 1891, may not stand...

On scene at devastating fire at Middle Collegiate Church, which is completely gutted.

Can’t help but think of comparisons to Notre Dame fire.

Tiffany stained glass windows destroyed.

Commanding officer told me structure may not stand.

Investigators on scene. pic.twitter.com/8uyC7YPU52

— Senator Brad Hoylman (@bradhoylman) December 5, 2020

[Updated] Report of a fatal fire early this morning at 118 Avenue D

Top photo via the Citizen app 

--UPDATED BELOW--

The FDNY is responding to a fire this morning at 118 Avenue D in the Jacob Riis Houses at Ninth Street, and there are early reports that one person has died.

As of 7:50 a.m., the fire, which started in an apartment on the fourth floor, appeared to be extinguished...

There is a massive FDNY response that stretches five blocks along Avenue D...

We'll update when more information becomes available. The FDNY responded to the fire at 7 a.m.

Updated noon

ABC 7 reports one fatality and seven injuries.

A 32-year-old man was discovered dead in the apartment by firefighters.

A 46-year-old woman was taken to the Cornell burn unit at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in critical condition.

A 13-year-old boy and an 18-year-old woman were treated for smoke inhalation and burns after they climbed down exterior poles of the building to safety.

Four others suffered minor injuries.

Multiple electric bicycles were found in the fire apartment, and fire marshals are looking into the possibility that they sparked the fire.

There is a GoFundMe for the residents of the apartment where the fire started. Details here.

Instagram user @jay_staccss has dramatic footage of the two teens desperately trying to escape the fire.

 

Updated 11/18

According to published reports, an e-bike battery caused the deadly fire. There were seven e-bikes in the apartment, per CBS 2. 

“These batteries, when they’re damaged or overcharged, release hydrogen gas, explode violently,” said FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro.

NY1 has coverage here. 

FDNY update on this morning's fire

Here's a statement from FDNY Assistant Chief John Hodgens on this morning's fire on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street:

"Our units arrived in three minutes, very fast response time. Upon arrival we had heavy fire showing from the corner building on East 7th Street. We quickly transmitted additional alarms to get more help here. We knew this was going to be a big operation. Fire had extended into the church on 2nd Avenue and also into another building on 7th Street. We had all of our units in position and we were quickly able to contain it to that area. We have four minor injuries to Firefighters at this time. We are going to be operating here for a while. The fire is under investigation by our marshals."

As for a cause... the fire in the same building on Feb. 10 was electrical. And this? Unrelated...

Per FDNY Fire Marshals: Cause of the 3-alarm fire on 2/10 at 48 East 7th Street in Manhattan was accidental, electrical, building wiring. The current 6-alarm fire at the same location is unrelated. FDNY operations continue and Fire Marshals are on the scene. pic.twitter.com/0FI5KwGPBr

— FDNY (@FDNY) December 5, 2020

Top photo by Steven

A look at the fire-damaged 11-13 Avenue D

Here's a look at 11-13 Avenue D one week after a two-alarm fire caused smoke and water damage in the 6-floor residential building between Second Street and Third Street. 

Windows on several of the 16 residential units are boarded up. The city also issued a full vacate order on the premises...

Per the city: 

Due to extensive fire damage at 1st-floor restaurant along with fire, water and smoke damage throughout building... fire fighting operations to vent out entire building where all windows and doors have been removed along with removal of the skylight for venting. These hazardous conditions have therefore rendered the ENTIRE premises unsafe to occupy. 

The fire has also shut down the three retail establishments at the address: Joseph's Convenience Store, New Chinatown Restaurant and Royal Fried Chicken. 

Sources said the fire started in the New Chinatown Restaurant, which was not open at the time. An EVG reader and resident of the building left a comment on the post about the fire stating that no one was injured. 

The FDNY has not released an official cause of the fire.

FDNY says fire that started at Artichoke was accidental

[EVG photo from May 26]

The FDNY took to Twitter yesterday to cite the cause of the fire at 328 E. 14th St. on May 26...

Per #FDNY Fire Marshals: Cause of 5/26 2-alarm fire at 328 East 14 St MN was accidental, due to heat from the pizza oven flue.

— FDNY (@FDNY) June 7, 2017

Per the fire marshals, the blaze "was accidental, due to heat from the pizza oven flue."

As previously reported, the two-alarm fire reportedly started inside Artichoke shortly after the pizzeria closed at 5 a.m. The fire spread from the ground level to second- and third-floor apartments through walls in the six-story building, according to the FDNY.

The Post reported on the way the pizzeria apparently learned of the fire: "A manager said he called 911 after a neighbor texted him a photo of the burning building."

The city has ordered a partial vacate on the building. An unknown number of residents have been displaced from their homes.

The pizzeria opened at 321 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, in their new home across the street from their previous location, on Tuesday. We first spotted plans for the new Artichoke last November.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Artichoke appears to be moving into a new space on 14th Street

Report of an early-morning fire at 328 E. 14th St., home of Artichoke Basille’s Pizza

Artichoke Basille's Pizza signage arrives at new 14th Street location

The new 14th Street location of Artichoke Basille's Pizza is now open

[Updated] Report of a fire at 55 3rd Ave., home of the Smith

Fire above where The Smith in the East Village is at. Whole neighborhood is covered in smoke. pic.twitter.com/vyYCnSbBjo

— Jesse Middleton (@srcasm) December 10, 2019

UPDATE BELOW

There are multiple reports coming in tonight (just after 8) about a fire on Third Avenue between 10th Street and 11th Street. There are unconfirmed reports that the fire started at the Smith, 55 Third Ave.

Here's what the FDNY Twitter account has to say... confirming the address...

MAN ALL HANDS 55 3 AVE, HIGH RISE FIRE IN RESTARAUNT IN THE DUCTS,

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) December 10, 2019

Here's another reader photo...



Will update when there's more information...

Updated 9:25

The FDNY declared the fire under control after 40 minutes...

MAN ALL HANDS 55 3 AVE, HIGH RISE FIRE IN RESTARAUNT IN THE DUCTS, UNDER CONTROL

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) December 10, 2019

WABC-TV reports that the fire in a duct at the Smith caused the temporary evacuation of the Eleventh and Third Apartments, the 12-story residential building adjacent to the bistro.

No word at the moment on the status of the Smith, which opened here in 2007.

Updated 7 a.m.

There doesn't appear to be any noticeable damage inside the Smith's dining room or bar area. However, signs on the front window announce that the restaurant will be closed today "due to an unforeseen circumstance" (such as a fire in the duct)...



Updated Dec. 13

The dining room remains closed... the bar is open nightly now serving a limited menu...

The latest from the fire-damaged Middle Collegiate Church: the New York Liberty Bell survives

Here are the latest developments about the Dec. 5 fire that destroyed the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street. (You can find all of our coverage via this link.)

For starters, on Friday, the FDNY said that faulty wiring at 48 E. Seventh St. was to blame for the six-alarm fire that destroyed the neighboring Middle Collegiate Church. An FDNY spokesperson told 1010 WINS that the fire has been deemed "non-suspicious." 

Myles N. Miller at NBC 4 reported that witnesses in the area first started smelling smoke around midnight. However, the first 911 call didn't come in until several hours later when a cab driver saw flames rising from No. 48.

The Fire Marshall has concluded their investigation, but we do not yet have the official written report. What we've been told is: It has been confirmed that the fire originated in the building to our north and the cause was electrical in nature.

— Rev. Jacqui Lewis, PhD (@RevJacquiLewis) December 12, 2020

Over the weekend, workers started removing the church's east-facing (back) wall in order to stabilize the site, according to the Rev. Jacqui Lewis, senior minister at the Middle Collegiate Church. (Photo below via Steven)

We will have more to say to our community and to the press once we see the official report. In the meantime, we offer prayers of thanksgiving that there were no fatalities.

— Rev. Jacqui Lewis, PhD (@RevJacquiLewis) December 12, 2020

In some positive news, the steeple remains intact, which is where the New York Liberty Bell had hung in the belfry. The bell appears unharmed ...

As work continues to stabilize @middlechurch, our engineers have found that the church’s historic “New York Liberty Bell” was not damaged during last week’s devastating fire.

DOB engineers remain on site to monitor & assess the stability of the structure. pic.twitter.com/v5BPwuIUGl

— NYC Buildings (@NYC_Buildings) December 12, 2020

Our bell will ring again, and our love is still ringing. pic.twitter.com/BLofkL4HmT

— Middle Church (@middlechurch) December 13, 2020

Some history of the bell via the Times:

It is about 25 years older than the cracked Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, according to a 1959 New York Times article.

Cast in Amsterdam in 1729, the bell was rung in 1735 to celebrate freedom of the press after John Peter Zenger, a German journalist, was acquitted of charges of seditious libel. He had published criticism of British tax collectors, according to the Times article.

It also was rung on the day that Representative John Lewis died in July and a week after the presidential election to celebrate "that love and justice" prevailed... 

Buildings Department officials said that they continue "to monitor and assess the stability of the remaining structure of the church, including the façade and the steeple, while cleanup operations are still underway." 

In one other development, Gothamist reported that there was a small fire at the scene on Saturday morning.

Around 9 a.m. Saturday, "something sparked up and the units that were on the scene did what they were supposed to do, which is just put some water on it," said a FDNY spokesperson who declined to give his name. The flare-up was so minor that the FDNY personnel on scene did not transmit a fire alarm, the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Church officials have started the rebuilding process (donation link here) ...

 

[Updated] Early-morning fire at 116 E. Fourth St., home of Mono + Mono

[Via EVG reader kke7st]

Photo of #FDNY o/s #Manhattan *66-22-0429**2nd Alarm** 116 E 4th St off 1st Ave #eastvillage #nyc twitter.com/NYCFireWire/st…
— NYC Fire Wire (@NYCFireWire) April 21, 2013

An early-morning two-alarm fire ripped through 116 E. Fourth St., a single-level commercial building that houses Mono + Mono. Bystanders were told that the fire started in the restaurant's kitchen. There were no reports of injuries here between First Avenue and Second Avenue. No word just yet on the extent of the damage at the restaurant or any adjacent buildings.

The restaurant serves Korean fried chicken and is known for playing classic jazz music — boasting a collection of more than 30,000 vinyl records that are played through vintage tube amplifiers.

Witnesses reported hearing an explosion before the fire, per Twitter. The FDNY evacuated residents at 118 E. Fourth St., according to people on the scene.


[Via EVG reader kke7st]

And via EVG correspondent jdx ...







EVG reader Marina, who shared the next two photos, praised the FDNY's speedy response...





Here's a photo via Jeffrey Borenstein looking north from First Avenue toward the flames...



And the scene on the north side of East Third Street via jdx ... where firefighters accessed buildings to help extinguish the blaze...





More from East Third Street via EVG reader Margo...







Several witnesses said that members of the Hells Angels yelled at the FDNY to watch their bikes.

This is the second major fire in the East Village this past week. Late Tuesday night, a fire claimed the life of 84-year-old Mary Lincoln Bonnell in a fire at 115. Fourth Ave. The FDNY said that a discarded cigarette caused the fire.

Updated 1 p.m.

Here's an update from Mono + Mono here.

[Updating] Report of an early-morning fire at 328 E. 14th St., home of Artichoke Basille’s Pizza

A two-alarm fire tore through 328 E. 14th St. early this morning. According to the official FDNY Twitter feed, the fire started just before 6 a.m. in the ground floor, which is home to Artichoke Pizza here between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

FDNYalerts MAN 2-ALARM 328 E 14 ST, MULTIPLE DWELLING FIRE ON THE 1ST FL,

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) May 26, 2017

A large number of firefighters were congregated outside what is Artichoke's dining room...





The damage extends to the second and third floors of the building...





The FDNY called it under control by 6:30 a.m.

FDNYalerts MAN 2-ALARM 328 E 14 ST, MULTIPLE DWELLING FIRE ON THE 1ST FL W/ EXT TO 2ND AND 3RD FLRS, UNDER CONTROL

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) May 26, 2017

No word just yet on cause or injuries or extent of the damage. As of 7 a.m., the NYPD still had 14th Street closed off between First Avenue and Second Avenue.



Artichoke is planning on opening in a new location directly across the street from here. Artichoke debuted at No. 328 in 2008.

Updated 10 a.m.

The Daily News reports that the fire caused "extensive damage" to Artichoke.

Witnesses said that the fire started right around its 5 a.m. closing time.

"I woke up to drunk girls on the street eating pizza and taking Snapchats, saying 'Holy s--t! There's a fire,'" said Morgan Crouse, 25, who lives above the pizzeria.

Updated 2 p.m.

The story in the Post noted this: "One fire source said it did not appear to be intentional."

Updating: Report of a fire at 60 E. 9th St.

[Photo by Vinny & O]

There's a report of a fire at 60 E. Ninth St., a six-floor building called The Hamilton at Broadway (the 200-plus-unit co-op sits between Ninth Street and Eighth Street)...

FDNYalerts MAN 2-ALARM 60 E 9 ST, MULTIPLE DWELLING FIRE ON ROOFTOP OF BUILDING,

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) June 28, 2017

A look via ABC 7... (H/T Doug)



Updated 6:27

Via Grant Shaffer...





... and the view from Astor Place via an EVG reader...



Patch reports that 200 firefighters are on the scene.

... a view north from Astor Place on Broadway via EVG reader 8E...



... a view from Fourth Avenue and 10th Street via EVG reader Charlie Chen...



Updated 7:50 p.m.

Astor Place looking west by Grant Shaffer



The view west on Ninth Street from Tompkins Square Park... smoke visible in the distance... photo via Steven...



The FDNY reports that one firefighter has been injured ... still no word on cause or other injuries...

#FDNY members continue operating at 5-alarm fire, 60 East 9 Street MN. 1 minor injury to a Firefighter reported at this time pic.twitter.com/Xjc0YE45PQ

— FDNY (@FDNY) June 28, 2017

Updated 9 p.m.

Several witnesses said that the fire appeared to intensify as time went on... the FDNY elevated the status from two to five alarms during the early evening.

The Post reports that the building's residents "were forced to gathered outside the building and watch in horror as the fire intensified Wednesday evening."

“I work on Bleecker and by the time I got to Great Jones I looked up and saw it was my building that the smoke was coming [from], the first thing I thought about was my dogs were trapped in the building,” said James Abraham, owner of the nearby Bleecker Street Bar.

“As I was tying to cross 8th street, I was stopped by someone, and they said, ‘No one is getting in the building, if you try to get in I’ll have you arrested.’ So I walked around to 9th street and went in to get my dogs.”

Fearing for the pups’ lives, Abraham navigated his way through the thick black smoke and up to his sixth floor apartment — where he found his four-legged best friends frantically waiting.

“I was very concerned and very focused,” he said. “They were a little distressed. All the noise, smoke and commotion definitely agitated them.”

Updated 9:30 p.m.

The FDNY has issued an under control...

FDNYalerts MAN 5-ALARM 60 E 9 ST, MIXED OCCUPANCY UNDER CONTROL

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) June 29, 2017

...and some play by play on how the FDNY brought it under control...

The members made a very aggressive interior attack to stop this fire - #FDNY Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro at 5-alarm fire in Manhattan pic.twitter.com/E5zMqJ0mjC

— FDNY (@FDNY) June 29, 2017

Updated 9:45 p.m.



Updated 6/29 7:30 a.m.
No one in the building was hurt, but 16 firefighters suffered minor injuries, according it NBC 4.

As for the residents:

The Red Cross responded to the scene and said more than 200 households were forced from their home. Only about half of them were allowed back inside, the other half of the building remains evacuated.

Investigators reportedly believe the fire started in the kitchen cooking area of a ground-floor deli on Eighth Street and then traveled undetected up a shaft to the roof.

Meanwhile, southbound N and R trains won't be stopping at Broadway/Eighth...

Details about the service change in effect on the N and R lines pic.twitter.com/ZTavPCWYkc

— NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) June 29, 2017

Updated 9:30 a.m.

Here's a look this morning... the damaged appears to be contained to the Eighth Street side... there's still a heavy FDNY presence on the scene... along with the Red Cross...