Fire marshals are investigating the cause of a massive three-alarm fire in Harlem that gutted a number of storefronts early Sunday morning.
FDNY sources said the blaze broke out at about 4:54 a.m. on March 20 inside of 480 Lenox Ave. The first-arriving units encountered heavy fire and smoke that had spread throughout several adjoining storefronts.
More than 138 firefighters and EMS personnel responded to the inferno. Smoke-eaters were seen venting the roof of the building as additional units were called.
The building itself was under construction and vacant at the time of the blaze. No injuries were reported.
Firefighters used several hose lines and tower ladders to knock down the main body of the fire, which was brought under control at about 7:18 a.m. Sunday morning.
The blaze happened about five months after a fire gutted a commercial building just down the block, at 490 Lenox Ave., on Nov. 3, 2021. Those buildings have since been demolished.
