A four-alarm fire tore through three Brooklyn restaurants Saturday night, sending six firefighters to the hospital and triggering a roof collapse during the fight.
Story Snapshot
- Fire broke out just before 5:30 p.m. Saturday at 135 North 5th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
- The blaze started at Juliette restaurant and spread to two neighboring eateries in the same building.
- More than 100 firefighters and over 230 fire and EMS personnel responded as the fire grew to four alarms.
- Six firefighters suffered minor injuries after a smoke explosion and partial roof collapse.
- No customers or restaurant staff inside were seriously hurt, and the cause remains under investigation.
Fire Breaks Out On Busy Williamsburg Block
Firefighters were called to North Fifth Street between Bedford Avenue and Berry Street just before 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The fire started inside Juliette restaurant at 135 North 5th Street and quickly spread to two other restaurants sharing the building. Within minutes, the New York City Fire Department upgraded the response to a fourth alarm, pulling in crews from across the borough.
More than 100 firefighters swarmed the block as smoke poured from the building. In total, 231 fire and emergency medical personnel responded to the scene, according to fire officials. The heavy response reflected how fast the flames moved through the shared building and how close the fire came to spreading further down the busy commercial strip.
Roof Collapse And Smoke Explosion Injure Crews
About 35 minutes into the fight, a smoke explosion rocked the building and forced commanders to call a mayday, a signal used when firefighters are in danger. Fire Department Deputy Chief Michele Fitzsimmons said crews also dealt with a localized roof collapse. “We had a localized collapse on the roof at one point. Members had to withdraw and then go back in,” she said.
Six firefighters suffered injuries described by officials as minor. They were taken to local hospitals for treatment and were expected to recover. Fire officials said no one inside the restaurant was seriously hurt, meaning customers and staff escaped the building without major harm despite the fast-moving flames and structural danger overhead.
Investigation Into Cause Continues
Fire investigators have not yet determined what sparked the blaze. Officials confirmed only that the fire began in Juliette before jumping to the two adjoining restaurants, a common risk in buildings where multiple businesses share walls, ceilings or ventilation systems. The Fire Department said the cause remained under review in the days after the fire.
Restaurant fires are a well-known hazard in New York City. City fire safety guidance notes that cooking equipment causes nearly 60 percent of restaurant fires, while failing to clean grease buildup contributes to almost a quarter of them. That backdrop helps explain why fires in food-service buildings can spread quickly and why crews train heavily for kitchen-related blazes, even before a specific cause is confirmed in any single incident.
Roof collapses during restaurant fires have proven dangerous for firefighters nationwide. Federal workplace safety investigators have documented cases where sudden roof failures trapped or injured crews during similar structure fires at commercial food businesses. Saturday’s collapse in Williamsburg was described as localized, and all six injured firefighters were expected to recover from what officials called minor injuries.
Neighborhood Left Assessing The Damage
The three affected restaurants were evacuated and shut down as crews worked to fully extinguish the fire. Coverage from local outlets described Juliette as a well-known spot in the neighborhood, though officials have not yet released a timeline for reopening or a formal damage assessment. Building safety officials have not published an inspection report on the property’s structural condition.
🚨 NYC IN FOCUS | FDNY WIRE
[LIVE WIRE • 6:04 PM] 🚒💥🔥⚠️🚨🧑🚒🆘MAYDAY EXPLOSION: FDNY transmitted a 2nd Alarm Signal 10-66 at 135 N 5th St (Bedford to Berry) in Williamsburg. Active restaurant fire with a rear explosion and members reported trapped. Rescue 2 collapse units &…
— Howard Weiss (@youfoundhowie) September 19, 2026
For now, the confirmed facts are straightforward: a fast-moving fire hit three restaurants in one building, firefighters battled a roof collapse and smoke explosion to control it, and six crew members were hurt but expected to be fine. The investigation into what started the fire continues, and officials have not released further updates on when the businesses might reopen.
Sources:
nypost.com, longisland.news12.com, timesnownews.com, abc7ny.com, patch.com
