Overview
- A powerful blast struck the third floor of the five‑story building at 374 East 209th Street and ignited a fire that was escalated to a five‑alarm assignment, according to FDNY and multiple reports.
- The explosion happened around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, witnesses said, and the blaze rapidly involved the building’s second and third floors.
- FDNY mobilized roughly 270 firefighters to the scene to fight the blaze and perform searches while police cordoned off nearby streets and kept bystanders back.
- Officials have not confirmed a cause despite initial dispatch and witness accounts that described a possible lithium‑ion battery explosion.
- Authorities reported multiple injuries—several outlets cited at least five people hurt with two critically injured while one local report put the toll higher—and investigators will examine the site once operations allow, leaving residents facing short‑term smoke, traffic and displacement impacts.