A Brooklyn judge ruled yesterday that the FDNY gave "insufficient" notice to a local community board about the closing of a Queens firehouse - but he did not order it reopened.
Justice James Starkey last week strongly recommended that Engine Co. 261 in Long Island City remain open because he had questions about whether proper notice was given to Manhattan Community Board No. 8, which includes Roosevelt Island.
The East River island, which has no vehicular access from Manhattan, is served by Engine 261.
The city ignored his request and closed the firehouse along with five others on Sunday.
Starkey urged city officials yesterday to immediately begin the notice process for the Manhattan board - even as he reviews the legality of the closing.
The hearing involving Engine 261 is part of a larger lawsuit brought by more than a dozen lawmakers.
That suit says the city failed to give proper notification in all of the closings and also failed to conduct an environmental-impact review.
Starkey, who last week denied the lawmakers' request for a preliminary injunction against the closings, is expected to issue a decision on the fate of all six shuttered firehouses within 30 days.
About 30 people taking part in a candlelight vigil outside Engine 261 last night blasted the closing, chanting "down with Mayor Bloomberg."
"I can't see how the mayor thinks response time won't change significantly given the traffic in Queens Plaza," said one of the protesters, Gloria Moloney, 50, a lifelong Long Island City resident.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Fire Investigation will cut more fire marshals from its ranks and close another one of its bases by mid-June.
Around the middle of next month, the Queens base will cease operations and staffing citywide will drop from 133 to 100 marshals.
The remaining 80 marshals and 20 supervisors will investigate only serious fires, fires that lead to death and suspicious fires.
The base in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, will be the only 24-hour center of operation.
"All suspicious fires will continue to be investigated," said an FDNY spokesman.
Additional reporting by Jennifer Fermino
