Smokey fire at South Street Seaport
Today the the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance hosted the “City of Water Day” to celebrate New York – New Jersey harbor. Festivities were centered on Governor’s Island and Liberty State Park with activities spread across the waterfront from Edgewater to Brooklyn and Staten Island. In addition to food, music, exhibits, ship tours and kayaking, one of the highlights of the day were free harbor rides on the historic fireboat John J. Harvey.
On the East River, other fireboats were hard at work. Just as the City of Water festival was ending, a fire broke out on Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport on the East River, sending hundreds fleeing from the shopping pavilion on the dock. The South Street Seaport shopping mall was not part of the City of Water festival but is a popular tourist destination. The New York Fire Department mobilized 33 units and 140 firefighters, fighting the fire from both trucks on land and fireboats from the water. The three alarm fire was extinguished in about two hours. No one was injured. A city of water and fire indeed. Thanks to Carolina Salguero at Portside New York for the heads up on Facebook.