A dramatic fire has erupted at the Bryant Park Holiday Market in Manhattan Friday morning, filling the sky with thick black smoke and spoiling the festive mood. The fire started about 9:20 a.m. at a stall at the popular holiday market on West 40th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, according to footage by the New York Fire Department and witnesses.
The FDNY arrived quickly on the scene, and firefighters battled to contain the flames. As of this report, the fire was still burning a half hour later. The fire spread so quickly that it raised concerns about safety, but no one has been reported injured or killed.
Booths Destroyed
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with authorities yet to release further details. Several small business owners, who depend on the busy holiday season for income, were left devastated as their booths were destroyed in the blaze. One such vendor, Slivus Duspiva, whose booth was filled with handcrafted ornaments, described his heartbreak.
“I was crying,” Duspiva told FOX 5. His family had sunk more than $10,000 into the rental of the booth, expecting the holiday season would be enough to recoup their investment. The dream, however, came crumbling down as his booth reduced to ashes by the fire.
The Bryant Park Holiday Market is an annual event that the people enjoy so much and is very popular for a wide range of unique products from vendors all over the world. Situated at the heart of Manhattan, it attracts both locals and tourists who come to shop, enjoy the festive atmosphere, and support small businesses. The open-air setting of the market was charming but might have contributed to the quick spread of fire.
Another Fire In Herald Square
Following similar disaster that occurred just weeks and a half ago when a blaze ravaged parts of the festive shopping at Herald Square, this other fire at Bryant Park emerged. The fire occurred between West 35th Street and West 36th Streets on Broadway, destroying part of the shopping area at18, to include bratwurst standpoints and T-shirt vendors among others. A week after that fire, a community online fundraising was established for the reconstruction of the destroyed businesses owned by the affected vendors.
ALSO READ | Abdul Rehman Makki, 26/11 Terror Attack Accused, Dies Of Heart Attack
