Devastated students lost their artwork in an inferno at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn this morning, which injured three people, according to authorities and students.
The four-alarm blaze began shortly before 2:15 a.m. at the Main Building on Willoughby Avenue, near Steuben Street, which houses fine art classes and studios, as well as some offices. The historical building dates back to 1887.
The sixth floor of the Main Building, which houses the senior painting studios, was gutted, as was the roof, according to a statement by the Pratt Institute. The fifth floor was also badly damaged.
There was also water damage throughout the building.
Madeline Mikolan, 22, a senior at Pratt, said she had ten paintings in the fire-ravaged building—all part of her thesis. She and two other students had a show scheduled for Monday.
“It’s devastating,” she said. “All of us were working doing this, putting in hundreds of hours work—and it’s all lost in four hours. It’s just tragic.”
Almost 170 Bravest battled the blaze until about 4:10 a.m. when it was extinguished. Nearby residents posted pictures of the fire online– showing heavy flames and thick smoke shooting from the building’s roof, which partially collapsed.
EMS took two firefighters to Brooklyn Hospital in stable condition. A civilian who was also hurt refused medical attention at the scene, according to an FDNY spokesman.
The Pratt Institute said that classes in the Main Building and nearby South Hall were canceled today, as well as for tomorrow.