Staten Island fire update: Massive blaze at Rector Street & Castleton Avenue; scary videos emerge | Hindustan Times

A massive fire was reported at Rector Street & Castleton Avenue in Staten Island, New York State, on September 11. NYC's official emergency notification system issued an alert saying it was a three alarm fire. They warned people to avoid smoke and keep windows closed.“Three Alarm Fire: Rector Street & Castleton Avenue, Staten Island. Expect smoke & traffic delays in the area. People nearby should avoid smoke and close windows,” the alert read.A cause for the fire is not known at present and there are no reports of injuries at this time.Staten Island fire: Scary visuals emergeMeanwhile, scary videos were shared online. One person claimed it was an auto salvage on fire, but there's been no official confirmation of the same. “Rector ave between Richmond terrace and castleton ave. Auto salvage on fire,” they wrote while sharing the video. The New York Fire Department also shared photos from the scene. “FDNY units are operating at a 3-alarm fire on Rector Street on Staten Island,” they wrote. Yet another photo showed smoke rising to the night sky. The blaze broke out on a day New York City marks twenty five years of the 9/11 attacks which saw the iconic Twin Towers come down. Many people pointed to the fact as others expressed fears amid the fire.Staten Island fire: Reactions pour inOne person remarked “What is going on in Staten Island first Richmond Terrace and South Avenue then today for 9/11 and now over here Castleton and Rector it’s crazy.”Also Read | Upland fire update: What happened in 1300 block of Arrow Highway in California city? Scary videos emergeAnother added “Hope everybody’s okay. Sirens have been going past the zoo for like an hour.” One also asked if it was ACE Auto Salvage that was on fire, but there's been no confirmation of the same yet.Yet another said “I hope anyone around there wasn’t affected and everyone is safe!.” One person also pointed to the recent barge explosion on Staten Island and added “Between the barge explosion and now this something is going on down there. And the air quality for most of Staten Island is probably borderline uninhabitable.” Another asked if it was close to the barge explosion. A barge explosion in Staten Island on September 10 left one person dead and two firefighters injured, and now the Coast Guard is investigating the matter, as per local reports.As per a local fire tracking page on Facebook, the Staten Island fire had started off as a two-alarm fire, before escalating to a three-alarm fire and soon became an ‘all hands on deck’ kind of situation, with the page noting the fire was in a junk yard. However, this information has not been confirmed by authorities.