On Friday morning, emergency crews quickly responded to a fire at the Bryant Park Winter Village, which broke out shortly before 9:30 a.m. The flames were located at a kiosk along 40th Street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues, as reported by the Fire Department of New York (FDNY).
FDNY Battalion Chief Joe Castellano shared that the affected kiosk, measuring 6 feet by 40 feet, housed cooking equipment and was divided into four storefronts. Fortunately, firefighters managed to contain the blaze in less than an hour, with the situation resolved by approximately 10 a.m. Unfortunately, the fire completely destroyed the kiosk and caused minor damage to a neighboring one, as well as heat damage to the roof of the adjacent ice skating rink.
In an encouraging development, there were no injuries reported due to the incident. Earlier in the day, the FDNY determined the fire to be accidental, attributing it to cooking oil coming into contact with combustible materials.
A spokesperson for Bryant Park expressed gratitude for the FDNY’s swift response, emphasizing that “The Rink and The Lodge are currently open. Most of The Holiday Shops have reopened, and we expect all the Holiday Shops that were not affected by the fire to reopen later today.”
The Winter Village will continue operating until January 5, offering visitors a mix of festivities and holiday shopping experiences.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of fire safety, especially in bustling environments like holiday markets. Moreover, the prompt response from firefighters ensured limited disruption to the ongoing Winter Village festivities, allowing the community to come together and continue celebrating this festive season.