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Massive warehouse inferno still smoldering, more than 24 hours later

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Ken Rosato
More: Bio, 7online.com News Team

(Greenpoint-WABC, May 2, 2006) (WABC) -- As yesterday's fire at several vacant warehouses on the Brooklyn waterfront continues to smolder this morning there are more indications that arson may be to blame.

Newscopter Seven's John Delgiorno is live over the scene this morning with the latest conditions and traffic advisories.

The fire is still a ten alarm assignment this morning in Greenpoint Brooklyn.

The fire has not yet been officially placed under control.

The police department is on the way to the scene with a crane. They're going to begin demolition of the building.

The wind has shifted slightly a little towards Manhattan so look for some rubbernecking conditions along the FDR Drive and the Williamsburg Bridge.

Eyewitness news reporter Ken Rosato is standing by in Greenpoint with the latest on these arson suspicions.

It's been 24 hours since flames erupted at seven warehouses here on the waterfront.

Now the "Daily News" is reporting that fire marshals found accelerant in five different spots on the 21 acre site.

The fire department is investigating the case as possible arson.

More than 400 firefighters converged on yesterday's fiery scene at a former rope factory.

The 10 alarm fire eventually engulfed 15 buildings, making it the largest in New York City in a decade, excluding "9/11".

From the very beginning, the fire raised suspicions:

Its speed

Its predawn timing

The location, acres of prime waterfront property in a booming neighborhood that a developer already had big plans for.

This fire scene is in the same area, the high- rise housing complex is being planned by Real Estate tycoon Joshua Guttman.

Phil DiPaulo, Neighborhood Activist: "We've heard numbers upwards of 400 million dollars."

Neighborhood residents had been fighting to stop much of the waterfront redevelopment by getting the warehouses declared historic landmarks.

Neighborhood Activist: "If we succeeded in landmarking that site, that would impede their ability to build these giant 400 foot buildings on that site".

Guttman's lawyer insists his client had nothing to do with the fire.

He says the destruction it caused, as well as the bad publicity, created more problems than the planned demolition would have.

Meanwhile, initial reports that a 2004 fire at another property Guttman wanted to develop in Dumbo was suspicious have since been discounted.

A fire official said a lengthy investigation was not able to turn up a cause in that fire.

And he added Mr. Guttman cooperated with both investigations.

After more than 24 hours this morning, you could still see fire in some smoldering spots.

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