A massive fire in Williamsburg is still burning. It started Saturday morning and firefighters have been working to get it under control ever since. As the fight continues, the city is urging nearby residents to stay inside and away from the smoke. NY1's Polly Kreisman filed this report.
The seven-alarm fire sent clouds of smoke into the air that could reportedly be seen from New Jersey.
Images posted on social media show just how much firefighters had to endure in terms of fire and ice, as much if the water needed to fight the fire instantly froze in the frigid air.
The CitiStorage warehouse was said to be packed with reams of official documents—including city and hospital records.
"There's nothing but dry paper in the that's gonna burn for plenty of hours, right?" said one man near the scene.
"Once that paper starts burning, it's very difficult. It burrows in," said FDNY Chief James Leonard.
It is so difficult, in fact, that the fire department says it expects to be here for weeks to come.
The FDNY was first called to a smaller fire here about 4:30 a.m. Saturday, which was quickly extinguished, only to return about 6:20 a.m. to a blaze that required almost 300 firefighters and other emergency personnel to fight in the worst of conditions. It's not yet known if the two fires were related.
"Cold can be painful. It's windy. It's smokey. You have to watch out for ice hazards. That's why we're trying to keep them to three-hour shifts. Especially the firefighters in the tower ladders are extremely, extremely exposed," Leonard said.
Firefighters worried the blaze could spread to the adjacent Bayside Fuel Depot, but soon learned the tanks were empty and the factory had been sold.
As darkness closed in Saturday, New Yorks Bravest continued the fight here on the Brooklyn waterfront where smoke hangs in the air, and will for days to come.
Despite the brutal weather and the severity of the fire, only one minor injury was reported. Now, the city is recommending that people in the area limit their exposure to the smoke.