A 19th-century warehouse in Red Hook that has been a hub for artists for decades was engulfed in a five-alarm fire last week. Located at 481 Van Brunt Street, the four-story wood-framed warehouse contained dozens of studios and design businesses, as well as the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC). According to the New York Times, the fire broke out shortly before midnight on Wednesday and escalated quickly, drawing more than 250 firefighters who battled the flames into the night.
Just after 11:30 Wednesday night, the FDNY responded to a 5-alarm fire at 481 Van Brunt Street in Brooklyn. Units arrived in under three minutes. Over 250 firefighters and EMS personnel responded. Two firefighters were transported with minor injuries.
“This building is a very… pic.twitter.com/3ZWruEpSHL
— FDNY (@FDNY) September 18, 2025
The four-story Beard and Robinson Stores, taking up 421-499 Van Brunt Street, were built in the 1860s and 70s to accommodate goods bound for the New York Harbor via the Great Lakes and Erie Canal.
The warehouse was central to Red Hook’s artistic community, which took root in the 1990s. Gregory O’Connell, a retired police detective, began restoring real estate in the neighborhood—then dubbed the “crack capital of America”—with the hope of attracting artists priced out of Soho.
In 1990, O’Connell offered 25,000 square feet rent-free to the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition. In turn, the artists brought new life to Red Hook, drawing visitors and spurring the opening of shops, restaurants, and other businesses.
“He was very good at using the arts to rebrand not only his property but the neighborhood,” Carolina Salguero, executive director of PortSide NewYork, told the New York Times. “If you love Red Hook now, you owe Greg O’Connell a great deal.”
The FDNY said there was “heavy fire” on the second, third, and fourth floors and on the roof. Due to the severity of the blaze, firefighters attacked the fire from the exterior and used Marine 9 fire boat to put out the flames from the waterfront. Part of the roof and the fourth floor had collapsed by the morning.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Meg Suttles, founder of gallery space Hot Wood Arts, told Hyperallergic she arrived at Van Brunt Street and saw the fire take over her portion of the warehouse.
“I made a lot of 2 a.m. calls when I knew it was going to be devastating,” Suttles told the website. “We’re just in shock today. I have 13 and a half years’ worth of artwork, plus things from undergrad that I did 20-something years ago, that’s all just gone.”
A fundraiser to help Suttles rebuild Hot Wood Arts has raised $23,000 so far.
As firefighters surveyed the aftermath and established a collapse zone on Friday, one person who entered the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition’s space reported that nearly all of the art remained undamaged, according to the Times.
The Red Hook Business Alliance has launched a GoFundMe to support artists and businesses affected by the fire. As of Monday, the campaign has raised roughly $150,000. You can donate here.
RELATED:
Interested in similar content?
