An early-morning inferno tore through an autobody shop in Kensington on Saturday, sending a thick column of smoke over McDonald Avenue and triggering a major FDNY response. Firefighters battled the blaze at 783 McDonald Ave. for nearly two hours before getting it under control. No injuries were reported, but the two-story commercial building was left heavily damaged.
FDNY response and timeline
According to News 12 New York, the call came in before 6 a.m., and flames quickly moved through the auto shop and adjoining commercial space. The department dispatched 141 fire and EMS personnel to the scene, the outlet reported. Crews classified it as a two-alarm fire and had the main body of flames knocked down after almost two hours of work.
Neighborhood impact and context
The fire pushed smoke through the McDonald Avenue business corridor and briefly disrupted nearby storefronts as firefighters stretched hoses and set up operations along the block. Large fires at auto shops are a recurring risk in Brooklyn: in a separate two-alarm incident in 2021, amNewYork reported that three firefighters were injured while battling an auto-repair blaze in Gravesend. Local archives also document earlier commercial fires along McDonald Avenue, underscoring how tightly packed repair shops and warehouses can magnify fire danger over time.
Investigation and next steps
Per News 12 New York, FDNY fire marshals have taken over the investigation, and the cause of the blaze remains under review. Officials said crews would keep monitoring for hotspots and evaluating structural damage before nearby businesses are cleared to fully reopen. Authorities have asked anyone with video or information about the fire to share it with investigators as they work to determine what sparked the incident.
