Progress Report

Coverage of a six-alarm fire in a Brooklyn, NY, mattress warehouse.

Feb. 1, 2005

Firefighters work to ventilate second-floor windows while operating on the roof of a portion of the mattress factory. Heavy smoke was being fanned by high winds.

Brooklyn, NY, July 5, 2004 – Over 150 firefighters battled a six-alarm fire that ripped through a multi-building warehouse for the Paradise Mattress Co., at 1209 DeKalb Ave., in the Bushwick section.

The quick-spreading blaze was caused by a lightning strike to a rooftop air conditioning unit in the rear of the L-shaped building.

Crews attempted an interior attack from a front door with a long hose stretch to the fire area, but due to rapidly deteriorating conditions, the crews were pulled out.

Firefighters reported that hundreds of mattresses and box-springs were stored along the walls, creating difficult conditions to operate in.

The two-story front section of the building was used for office space and storage of box springs. The rear of the building housed a loading dock and mattress storage area.

Firefighters used eight tower ladders teamed with several handlines and master streams to bring the fire under control about 3½ hours after being alerted.
—Peter Matthews