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Brooklyn Bridge fire: What is the bridge made of? 'Unusual incident' during July 4 fireworks raises questions
An “unusual incident" has raised questions after a Facebook post revealed that there is a “pallet of pyrotechnics on fire under the “Brooklyn Bridge.
An “unusual incident" has raised questions after NYC Fire Wire on Facebook shared that there is a “pallet of pyrotechnics on fire under the “ Brooklyn Bridge.
“Brooklyn *UNUSUAL INCIDENT* Box 8642. Brooklyn Bridge midspan. PALLET OF PYROTECHNICS ON FIRE UNDER THE BRIDGE,” the post reads.
Concerned Netizens raised concerns in the comment section of the post. “Are under the bridge and mid-span compatible? Is it on a boat?” one user asked. “What’s the unit assignment on this box?” wrote another.
“A friend sent a video to me. The fire appeared to be on the bridge and seemed to be brought under control quickly,” wrote a user, while another said. “Send in Mamdani's social workers!”
What we know about the incident
ABC7 reported that the FDNY responded to a rubbish fire that broke out on the Brooklyn Bridge as the Macy's Fourth of July fireworks were going off. The blaze broke out after 9:30 pm Saturday, July 4, on the Manhattan-bound side of the span. It may have been caused by the display, according to the outlet.
No injuries have been reported so far.
Several videos of the fire surfaced on X. “FDNY is putting out multiple FIRES on the BROOKLYN BRIDGE as more continue to explode along the span,” one user wrote. The same user wrote, sharing another video, “Part of the Brooklyn Bridge appears to be on FIRE as the NYC America250 Fireworks show continues along the East River”.
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“Flames erupted on the Brooklyn Bridge as fireworks were being shot from it during Macy’s July 4 display over the East River. Video shows a plume of smoke emerging from a flaming section of the bridge as fireworks soar and burst around it Saturday night. Two other sections also appeared to burn as the pyrotechnics were being shot from the span,” wrote a user.
“At first I thought it was supposed to happen but then I was scared it would exploded. I thought the bridge was made of wood so I was scared,” said Nearing Khoula, 24, from France, who was watching the display from the Brooklyn waterfront, as reported by the New York Times. “There were four at the same time. Some extra fireworks exploded due to the fire.”
“It started as a small fire and got bigger. There was too much black smoke,” added Mohamed Shaban, 31, of Egypt.
A New York Post reporter observed as all the fires burned out after a minute.
Per the outlet, a source said that “minor” blazes broke out on platforms installed to launch the fireworks, not on the bridge itself. The bridge, which is 143 years old, remains “safe and structurally sound,” said the source. The blaze was extinguished with two engines, the FDNY said.
What is the Brooklyn Bridge made of?
The Brooklyn bridge is reportedly a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge built primarily from limestone, granite, cement, and steel. Its towers are made of heavy stone and masonry, and the deck and its suspension cables are made of steel.
According to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, “The Brooklyn Bridge is a large-scale steel and stone cable-stayed suspension bridge with a central span of 1,595 feet (486m) and a toal length of 5,989 Feet (1,25m). Completed in 1883, it spans the East River to connect the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. It is owned, operated, and maintained by the City of New York’s Department of Transportation, and has remained in active use since its completion, carrying cars, pedestrians and bicycles. Until the mid-20th century, it also carried elevated trains and streetcars. The property covers approximately 20 acres (8 ha).
