E-Paper
Staten Island fire, explosion reports: What's happening in Richmond Terrace? Details emerge
Emergency crews rushed to Richmond Terrace on Staten Island after a major fire and reported explosions triggered a large-scale FDNY response
A major fire on Staten Island, following reports of explosions and heavy smoke coming from Richmond Terrace, provoked an extensive emergency response on Friday.
After reports of an explosion and intense fire at a shipyard building along Richmond Terrace, the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) declared a third alarm and deployed large numbers of firefighters to the scene.
According to local outlet SILive, the fire drew a major response from the FDNY, with numerous fire units, emergency vehicles and police personnel rushing to the scene as smoke became visible across portions of Staten Island.
Read more: Gwendolyn White: 5 things on Raleigh, NC woman who shot 2 Fox Rothschild lawyers
FDNY declared “All Hands” code
The incident happened at 3075 Richmond Terrace, where local media and emergency alert accounts first reported an explosion in a confined-space emergency involving shipyard workers.
Around 3:40 p.m., emergency radio reports reported the fire on Richmond Terrace between Mersereau and Andros avenues, with workers trapped in the basement of a metal structure.
Initial reports from emergency monitoring accounts suggested the incident may have begun with an explosion in a confined-space emergency inside the Mariners Harbor. NYC Fire Wire reported on X that two workers were trapped inside the structure.
Confined-space emergencies are considered among the most dangerous industrial rescue situations because of risks involving fire, toxic gases, structural collapse and limited access for rescue crews.
The FDNY escalated the response to a third alarm as conditions intensified, bringing additional firefighters, EMS crews and specialized rescue personnel to the waterfront industrial site.
Workers accounted for as investigators begin examining the cause
Later updates from William Petty, an independent reporter on X, suggested all individuals inside the building had been accounted for.
However, the FDNY reported another major explosion at around 4:20 p.m.
Following the explosion, reports of at least 16 injuries emerged. Three people suffered serious injuries, including one civilian and two firefighters. Two other firefighters suffered moderate injuries, while nine firefighters and two EMS members suffered minor injuries.
The injured people were transferred to nearby hospitals immediately.
Investigation is ongoing; however, the cause of the fire and explosion is not known yet.
Due to road restrictions brought on by the emergency response, officials are advising cars to stay away from the area.
