Vacant Building under Construction in Bed-Stuy Catches Fire, Causes Heavy Smoke to Rise

By Yehudit Garmaise

A three-alarm fire sparked and tore through a five-story, vacant building that was once under construction, but later abandoned, on 394 Gates Ave., in nearby Bedford-Stuyvesant, at 5:50am.

Heavy smoke was rising this morning from Gates Avenue, after the fire caused the building to quickly collapse on its rear side, where the fire started and was the most intense.

Multiple firefighters, who quickly extinguished the majority of the flames, are now putting out smaller flames that remain.

Other firefighters are investigating the area to determine any other potential areas that are at risk of catching fire, the FDNY reported.

The cause of the fire is unknown, although one woman told ABC7 that many neighbors suspect arson was set in the building, where homeless people were thought to be staying. 

One neighbor, who asked to be identified as Helen B., said that she was not surprised to see the building go up in flames "because it has been sitting there abandoned for a long time."