Brooklyn factory fire destroys 3 warehouses in Sunset Park, 2 firefighters injured

2 firefighters injured in Brooklyn commercial building fire

FOX 5 NY's Jessica Formoso has the details. 

BROOKLYN - A fire broke out inside a Brooklyn warehouse overnight, sparking a massive five-alarm response and injuring two firefighters, authorities said.

What we know:

The blaze began just after midnight at a food distribution warehouse on 53rd Street and First Avenue in the industrial section of Sunset Park, fire officials said. The flames quickly spread to two neighboring factories.

By the numbers:

More than 250 FDNY and EMS personnel responded to the scene. Firefighters battled heavy flames that shot high into the sky, using ladder trucks and two fireboats positioned along the waterfront. Fire officials said crews pumped roughly 15,000 gallons of water per minute to knock down the fire.

All three warehouses were deemed complete losses. The roof and interior walls of the building where the fire originated collapsed, officials said.

"It’s still an active fire. There’s still hot spots," Chief of fire operations Kevin Woods said at the scene. "The main fire building did collapse, so there’s also a danger of some walls collapsing. We have to keep our distance. We have to use our elevated streams. We can’t put any people in those buildings."

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries and are expected to be OK, authorities said.

The fire remained active early Wednesday, and officials said crews would likely remain on scene for several more hours.

What's next:

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Around 6 a.m. employees from nearby warehouses began arriving for work in the morning but were stopped at a gate as emergency crews continued operating. 

Some workers said they were still waiting to learn whether their workplaces were among the buildings destroyed.