BY KAITLYN MEADE | The New York Fire Department is investigating the second fire to break out in two days at a Fulton St. building. Firefighters reportedly evacuated midway through fighting a three-alarm blaze Monday morning after the roof partially collapsed, perhaps due to combined damage from Sunday’s four-alarm blaze.
Fire officials confirmed that the second fire broke out in the upper floors of the five-story building at about 1:55 a.m. on March 18, at 140 Fulton St., which officials say is an entirely commercial building and was unoccupied at the time of the fire. Thirty-three units with a total of 138 members responded.
At about 2:30 a.m., the roof partially collapsed and firefighters were ordered out of the building to conduct exterior operations, which involved two units pumping 1,000 gallons of water per minute through the roof and three handlines from the rear and sides of the building.
The blaze was finally brought under control by 5:19 a.m. One firefighter was reported to have sustained minor injuries and was moved to an area hospital.
The causes of both fires are still under investigation. A Fire Department spokesperson said that the Sunday morning blaze, which began at about 7 a.m. and was under control by 9:38 a.m., was heavy on the second floor and eventually spread throughout the building, while the second fire raged throughout building but started on the upper floors.
Fire department personnel were on the scene for a long period of time Sunday assessing the damage to the building’s structure after the first fire, which had 168 F.D.N.Y. members respond.
