Fire at Historic Hell’s Kitchen Art Storage Facility Under Investigation

Smoke rose over the rooftops of Hell’s Kitchen this afternoon after a fire broke out at a fine art storage facility on W49th Street.

FDNY responded at 4:14pm this afternoon (Saturday) after a fire alarm was activated at the premises of Morgan & Brother Storage Company at 449 W49th Street (between 9/10th Avenue).

Officials say that firefighters arrived and found a fire on the first floor of the commercial building. There were 12 FDNY units in attendance and 60 fire and EMS personnel on the scene.

There was one minor injury to a firefighter, and crews took a couple of hours to check through each floor of the storage facility, where there appeared to be extensive smoke from the fire.

Officials said that the incident is under investigation by FDNY Fire Marshalls.

W49th Street was closed to traffic for several hours — but businesses like Fine & Dandy, the Back Pocket Bar and Preston Konrad remained open.

The building houses Morgan & Brother’s Fine Art Division. Their website says the company was founded in 1851 by 24-year-old Patrick Morgan. It’s one of the oldest moving and storage companies in the United States. The fifth generation of the same Morgan family runs the business today.

The seven-story building was built in 1922 and is one of six facilities owned by Morgan & Brothers in New York and Connecticut.

Representatives from Morgan & Brother could not be reached for comment this evening.

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