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Cars engulfed in massive fire at NYPD tow pound

Thick black smoke from the blaze could be seen drifting into New York Harbor as seized vehicles burned

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Firefighters battle a two-alarm fire involving multiple vehicles at the NYPD’s Erie Basin Auto Pound in Brooklyn, New York on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (Gardiner Anderson for New York Daily News)

Gardiner Anderson/TNS

By Thomas Tracy
New York Daily News

NEW YORK — A row of cars sitting in an NYPD impound lot caught fire in a massive blaze that could be seen for miles Wednesday — the same lot where a fire destroyed an evidence warehouse two years earlier, officials said.

The fire broke out inside the Erie Basin Auto Pound on Columbia St. in Red Hook at about 12:45 p.m.

Thick black smoke from the blaze could be seen drifting into New York Harbor.

On Wednesday, firefighters were still working on completely snuffing out the fire. No injuries had been reported.

On Dec. 13, 2022, a fire broke out in an NYPD warehouse on the same lot, destroying stored clothing and other items that were tested for DNA evidence. The fire was so intense that a section of the warehouse collapsed, police said.

The impound lot is also used to store illegal dirt bikes, e-bikes and scooters that are confiscated off the street, officials said.

The cause of Wednesday’s blaze was under investigation.

©2024 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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