The FDNY’s Ladder Co. 112 along with many other firefighters swarmed to a basement fire on Menahan Street this morning — Photo by Diego Cupolo

About a hundred fire truck sirens served as my alarm clock this morning so, like an insurance claims lawyer, I grabbed my camera and followed the hubbub around the corner.

The cause of the commotion: a small fire started around 8:45 a.m. in the basement of a building currently being renovated on Menahan Street near Bushwick Avenue. By the time I got there the fire had been extinguished, the air smelling of moist charcoal. A few dirty construction jackets were hanging on the fence in front of the building, but no construction workers were in sight.

Though firemen could not determine the cause of the fire, they suspected it happened during construction work. The owners of the building, which is located at 11-13 Menahan, showed up with a video camera and refused to answer any questions regarding whether or not anyone was working on the property this morning.

When they saw me taking pictures they asked, “Who are you?”

“Diego,” I replied.