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Second Fire in Two Days Breaks Out in Fulton Street Building

By  Trevor Kapp and Nikhita Venugopal | March 18, 2013 7:27am | Updated on March 18, 2013 8:32am

FINANCIAL DISTRICT — A huge fire broke out in a mixed-used building on Fulton Street early Monday morning, just a day after another blaze burned at the same building, an FDNY spokesman said.

Fire officials received the call for the second blaze in 140 Fulton St., at 1:55 a.m. It grew into a three-alarm fire, but was under control by 5:20 a.m., the spokesman said.

One firefighter sustained minor injuries, officials said.

About 7 a.m. on Sunday, a four alarm fire broke out at the five-story building near Nassau Street, the FDNY spokesman said. It was brought under control by 9:38 a.m. and three firefighters received minor injuries, officials said. 

The FDNY used 168 firefighters to tackle the first blaze.

Fire officials said Monday that the roof of the building had collapsed in the rear because of Sunday morning's fire.

The collapse made it unsafe to enter the building, said Battalion Chief Mark Rosenbaum.

"We've basically been trying to extinguish it from the outside," said Rosenbaum. "So it's just a long, tedious process of pouring water from different angles."

Hundreds of firefighters responded to the two blazes over 30 hours, he added.

"We had it under control yesterday at about 12 o'clock [p.m.]," he said.

"It's not going anywhere. We just can't get final extinguishment of it."

Both fires are under investigation, the spokesman said.

Ed Wood, 51, who lives on the 3rd floor at 138 Fulton St., said he and his family were allowed to re-enter the building about 12 p.m. on Sunday, after the first blaze.

Once they were back in the building, Wood said he saw smoke coming from the floor.

"There were some firefighters in the back and I said, 'Can you come look at this?'" said Wood, who was not allowed to go back into the building Monday morning.