Firefighters responding to a Friday morning blaze in Lower Manhattan stumbled onto what the FDNY later called improvised incendiary devices, turning a routine call into something far more unsettling. The fire broke out at a building on 14 Murray Street, where one person suffered minor injuries. The alarm came in just after 8:20 a.m., triggering a sizable FDNY and EMS response that kept crews on the scene for more than an hour. Officials said the devices looked like Molotov-style bottles, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Scene and response
According to PIX11, the fire was reported at about 8:23 a.m., bringing roughly 79 fire and EMS personnel to the stretch of Murray Street between Church Street and Broadway. Operations were still underway at about 9 a.m. as firefighters worked to ventilate the building and hunt for stubborn hotspots. Emergency crews recovered several incendiary devices at the scene that FDNY personnel described as Molotov cocktails.
Investigation and context
City investigators at the scene said no arrests had been made and that the cause of the fire remains under review. The discovery comes on the heels of other recent incidents involving Molotov-style bottles in New York City. Molotov Mayhem covered a March case on Staten Island where bottles were thrown at a residence. Authorities are canvassing the block around 14 Murray Street for witnesses and asking anyone with video from the area to share it with investigators.
What officials say next
Officials told PIX11 that the injured person was treated on site by EMS, and no additional information about that individual has been released. Investigators plan to review surveillance footage and analyze the evidence recovered at the scene to determine whether the devices were placed or thrown and whether the blaze was accidental or intentional. Anyone with information has been urged to contact local law enforcement as the investigation moves forward.
