A Greenpoint lumber yard burst into an inferno early Saturday morning that raged for over four hours in the frigid morning, authorities said.
Marly Building Supply on Meeker Ave. and Varick St. burst into flames around 12:30 a.m., FDNY sources said. The flames spread quickly in the tinder-box conditions of the sprawling, block-long lumber and building supplies yard, fire sources said, and released a mountainous plume of smoke that reached hundreds of feet into the sky.
Approximately 200 firefighters wrestled with fire, which went to a fifth alarm, for over four hours. The fire was placed under control at 4:54 a.m., fire sources said.
“This is the last thing on earth you hope for,” a fire department source said of the highly flammable location.
Fire Department Chief of Operations James Esposito said the fight to contain the flames in the combustible environment was “punishing” given the freezing temperatures.
“We had a heavy fire situation but we were also battling the cold and it presented quite a number of challenges and water suppply issues and safety issues,” Esposito said, adding that freezing hydrants in the single digit temperatures required crews to initially stretch “extraordinarily long” water lines to working hydrants.
The chief said there were no reports of civilian or firefighter injuries immediately after the flames were brought down.
Firefighters did save a Rottweiler – apparently a guard dog – from the encroaching flames.
“He was in a bad spot, so I got him out,” said a smoke-eater who stood with the hulking pooch. “He’s a guard dog … I was a little worried about clipping the leash around his neck.”
Authorities temporarily shut down the Meeker Ave./Morgan Ave. exit on the BQE to protect cars from the flames. Authorities also requested permission to raise the Pulaski bridge so firefighters could bring in two water boats to help battle the persistent fire, but connecting water lines to the boats raised safety concerns, Esposito said, and the department was able to bring down the flames without the extra water.
The Fire Marshall was investigating the cause of the fire.
