Fire Displaces Nine at Windsor Terrace Home

A blaze at a two-family Brooklyn home left nine residents displaced and prompted vacate orders for the building and its neighbor.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Emergency Response

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a simplified brick rowhouse silhouette with a broken roofline against a muted gray-blue field. — A fire at a two-family Brooklyn home on Vanderbilt Street displaced nine residents and prompted full and partial vacate orders for two buildings. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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On Nov. 4, 2026, a fire broke out on the first floor of a two-family brick home at 525 Vanderbilt St. in Windsor Terrace, spreading to the second and third floors before being extinguished less than an hour after it was reported. Nine people from four households were displaced and registered for emergency assistance.

Why it matters

The city issued a full vacate order for 525 Vanderbilt St. and a partial vacate order for the neighboring building, leaving residents without housing while the damage is assessed. The Department of Buildings has also cited the property for work without a permit and an illegal basement unit, raising questions about compliance in older multi-family homes across New York City.

The fire response involved more than 140 firefighters and EMS personnel using four hose lines, with two firefighters treated for minor injuries and no civilians hurt. The cause of the blaze and the timeline for repairs remain unreported.

The players

American Red Cross

A humanitarian organization that provides disaster relief, shelter and emergency assistance to displaced families after fires and other disasters.

New York City Department of Buildings

The city agency responsible for building safety, permitting and enforcement, which issued the violations cited at 525 Vanderbilt St.

The details

Flames began on the first floor of the brick home at 525 Vanderbilt St. and had spread to the second and third floors by the time firefighters arrived around 2 p.m. The American Red Cross was on scene to assist displaced residents, and the building now shows extensive fire damage including an open roof, charred joists and widespread water damage.

Nov. 4, 2026: Fire broke out at 525 Vanderbilt St. around 2 p.m.
Nov. 4, 2026: Flames were extinguished shortly before 3 p.m.

Emergency Response Context

The fire at 525 Vanderbilt St. fits the pattern of New York City's Department of Buildings citing unpermitted basement units and occupancy violations after residential fires. The vacate orders issued here follow the city's standard emergency response to structurally compromised multi-family buildings.

Residents of 525 Vanderbilt St. and the neighboring building are under vacate orders and should follow instructions from city officials before returning. Anyone displaced who needs housing or assistance can seek help through the American Red Cross, which was on scene after the fire.

The takeaway

Unpermitted basement units in older multi-family homes can turn a single fire into a displacement crisis for everyone above and beside them. Check that any rental unit you live in or visit has permits and proper egress on file.