A large fire broke out at the Gristedes supermarket at 101 Henry St. in Brooklyn Heights just before 6 p.m. on Tuesday, sending a billowing cloud of black smoke down the street, which sits just uphill from the Brooklyn Bridge.

The FDNY responded immediately, smashing the windows in the storefront to vent the building of the heavy smoke. Everyone inside the supermarket at the time of the incident was evacuated immediately; no injuries were reported from any of the 10 employees on duty. A store employee reported that no shoppers had been injured.

Four engine companies, four ladder companies, a squad company, a rescue company, two battalion chiefs, and one division chief were on the scene to control the blaze. Police officers were fending off the streets and sidewalks nearby, instructing passersby to take detours and not interfere, as a large crowd began to appear, some taking photos with their cell phones.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that the fire's origin was electrical, starting near the donuts just to the right of the shop's entrance; but the fire looked under control by 6:30-6:45 p.m., as some of the NYFD began to disperse.

—MG

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