An early morning fire at the Ravenswood Generating Station in Long Island City on Wednesday sent a thick cloud of black smoke billowing over the Queensbridge Houses that could be seen for miles.
The FDNY received a report of a fire in the Con Edison substation on Vernon Boulevard and 36th Avenue at 4:16 a.m. on July 16 and dispatched 12 units with 60 fire personnel to extinguish the blaze. The firefighters worked with Con Edison personnel to bring the fire under control at 6:23 a.m., according to the FDNY.
There were no injuries reported, and fire marshals will determine the cause of the blaze.
A Con Edison spokesman said there were no power outages associated with the event.
A spokesman for Ride Light & Power, which owns and operates the Ravenswood Generating Station, said the fire was relegated to Con Edison’s equipment and property, with no impact on Rise’s operations.
Known as Big Allis to locals, the Ravenswood Generating Station has been a vital part of New York’s energy system for more than 60 years. Located on 26 waterfront acres along the East River, it delivers more than 20% of the city’s generation capacity. It played a major role in re-energizing the grid after 2003’s Northeast Blackout.
In 2020, Rise Light & Power began a growth-oriented strategy, including modernization and resiliency upgrades at Ravenswood, as well as new large-scale clean energy infrastructure to facilitate the renewable energy transition taking place in New York State and the region.
