A huge fire tore through a one-story recycling plant warehouse in Hunts Point early Friday, sending thick black smoke billowing over the industrial peninsula and jolting the neighborhood awake. FDNY crews rushed to 638 Longfellow Ave just after 7 a.m. and battled the flames into the morning. Authorities reported no injuries in the initial aftermath.
According to News12 New York, the blaze began in the scrapyard behind the building and quickly kicked up dense, dark smoke that showed up on the Citizen safety app. Video from the area captured a thick column of smoke visible for blocks while firefighters poured water on stubborn hotspots and crews started sizing up the damage.
Another large recycling-plant blaze this month
The Hunts Point fire is the latest in a run of warehouse and recycling-plant blazes around the city in recent weeks. On July 3, a fire tore through a Greenpoint recycling facility, injuring 10 firefighters and pushing heavy smoke across Brooklyn, according to ABC7 New York. Officials said nearly 200 fire and EMS personnel responded to that three-alarm fire, and the cause there is still under investigation.
Hunts Point's industrial footprint and health concerns
Hunts Point is a tightly packed industrial corridor that includes the Hunts Point Produce Market along with dozens of warehouses, transfer stations and recycling operations, according to the Mayor's Office. City leaders say their redevelopment plan for the market is geared toward modernizing aging infrastructure, cutting truck traffic and improving air quality on the peninsula. For residents and community advocates, who have long treated pollution and industrial hazards as top public health priorities, fires like Friday's are an unwelcome reminder of how vulnerable the area can feel.
What officials say
As of the latest updates, officials had not identified a cause for the Hunts Point fire, and News12 New York reported there were no injuries. Fire investigators typically sift through debris, analyze the burn pattern and interview witnesses before releasing a probable origin, so it may be some time before the public gets a clear answer. Neighbors and workers in the area will likely be watching for briefings from FDNY or the city's emergency agencies, and we will track official notifications for any substantive updates.
