6-alarm fire tears through Chelsea building, prompts evacuations due to collapse concerns

NEW YORK (WABC) -- A six-alarm fire that tore a Chelsea building under renovation prompted evacuations after officials feared the structure could collapse.

The fire started on the third floor at around 2:55 a.m. Tuesday and burned through the roof of what was once to become a 10-story luxury condominium on West 17th Street. The sixth alarm was mainly for relief purposes.

"We used over 200 members of the department to extinguish that fire," FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. "We had heavy fire on three floors of that building...it has suffered now severe damage, some structural instability."

The building was undergoing renovations, and no one lived inside. The only occupant, a watchman, escaped without injury.

Large open shafts and open areas allowed the fire to quickly spread, officials said, and the building's sprinkler system and standpipe were not yet installed.

Five buildings, including the fire building, were temporarily evacuated. A final vacate determination will be made after structural assessment is completed.

A sidewalk shed being erected, and investigators believe there is no risk of a major collapse at this time.

Because of fire department activity, both Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue were closed from West 19th to 16th streets. Also, both West 17th and 18th streets were closed between Seventh and Eighth avenues.

The building was slated to be a 40,000-square-foot luxury condo development called The Dorian. The project was to be completed by the end of next year; lower-floor units were to be priced at about $3 million.

There is no emergency declaration for demolition of the building, as the structure has not been compromised, according to buildings department officials.

Evacuations will likely be lifted on most of the properties by the end of the day, a city official said.