A four-alarm fire tore through a large warehouse in Brooklyn on Wednesday afternoon, causing extensive damage to the building and destroying inventory belonging to at least 25 businesses, according to the Fire Department of the City of New York, as reported by The New York Post.
The fire broke out around 12:40 p.m. inside a warehouse facility on Columbia Street in the Red Hook section of the borough.
Fire officials said the building is used for the storage of a wide range of materials, including refrigeration equipment, food products, household goods, and manufacturing supplies.
Just after 12:30 Wednesday afternoon, FDNY Fire Alarm Dispatchers received a call for a fire at 700 Columbia Street in Brooklyn. The fire went to a 4th alarm, bringing over 200 firefighters and EMS personnel. There were no reported injuries.
“Upon arrival we had a heavy fire… pic.twitter.com/Y0dbpjFivl
— FDNY (@FDNY) January 21, 2026
FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said conditions were severe when crews arrived on scene.
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“Upon arrival, the fire was blowing out the roofs in multiple areas, and [it reached] a second alarm very quickly,” Bonsignore said.
The fire initially affected three storage bays but continued to spread, ultimately escalating to a fourth alarm. More than 200 firefighters were dispatched to battle the blaze as it intensified, officials said.
FDNY Chief of Operations Kevin Woods said fire crews moved quickly to prevent the fire from spreading further throughout the structure.
“Our engine companies moved in very aggressively, very deliberately,” Woods told reporters. “They prevented further extensions within this building.”
Despite those efforts, the roof of the warehouse sustained what Woods described as “extensive damage.”
He added that weather conditions complicated firefighting operations, as New York City experienced bitter cold temperatures and strong winds at the time of the fire.
“The weather was definitely a factor,” Woods said. “The wind was carrying the embers throughout this building and catching fire to multiple other bays.”
Woods emphasized the danger firefighters faced while working inside the structure.
“It’s a very dangerous job,” he said. “It’s a very physically demanding job, as well.”
No injuries were reported among civilians or firefighters, according to the FDNY. Woods estimated that inventories belonging to approximately 25 businesses were impacted, as the warehouse contains 25 separate storage bays.
NOW: A fire broke out at the NYPD’s impound warehouse on Columbia Street in Brooklyn, New York.pic.twitter.com/fv41DsdjeR
— OSINT Spectator (@osint1117) January 21, 2026
Bonsignore praised the response from firefighters and support personnel, crediting them with preventing even greater destruction.
“Our members did an outstanding job of putting this fire out,” she said.
The fire erupted just steps away from the Erie Basin Auto Pound, the New York Police Department’s massive vehicle storage facility that also houses DNA evidence and vehicles suspected of being used in crimes.
That facility has experienced major fires in both 2022 and 2024, but police confirmed it was not affected by Wednesday’s blaze.
The warehouse fire comes roughly four months after another major fire struck the Red Hook area. In that incident, a five-alarm blaze ripped through a historic warehouse on Van Brunt Street that housed artists’ studios.
While that building was unoccupied at the time, two firefighters suffered minor injuries during the response.
Fire marshals are investigating the cause of Wednesday’s blaze. Officials have not released information about where the fire started or whether any violations were found at the site.
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