Assisting Recovery Efforts from Red Hook Fire

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that New York State has secured a Physical Disaster Declaration for Kings County and the contiguous counties of Queens, Richmond and New York. A review by the Small Business Administration found that 59 businesses sustained major damage from the fire that started in a Red Hook warehouse on September 17, 2025, with a value of more than $9,000,000.

“No homeowner, renter or business owner should face the devastation of a major fire without support,” Governor Hochul said. “By securing a Physical Disaster Declaration, we are ensuring that the Red Hook community and surrounding businesses that sustained major fire damage have access to the financial resources needed to make repairs, recover, and resume normal operations following this disaster.”

New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “September’s five alarm fire in Red Hook devastated small businesses and the surrounding community. Thanks to the leadership of Governor Hochul, New York was able to secure critical recovery funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration so the neighborhood can build back better and thrive once again.”

Representative Nydia M. Velázquez said, “As Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, I know how hard it is for a small business or family to recover after a disaster like the Red Hook fire. Dozens of local businesses suffered major damage, and many are still struggling to rebuild. This SBA designation will give entrepreneurs, homeowners, and renters access to affordable capital so they can make repairs and move forward. I was proud to work with Governor Hochul to secure this assistance, and I’ll keep pushing to make sure our communities have the support they need to fully recover.”

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, “Small businesses and the community in Red Hook deserve access to federal support and funding to recover after this September’s devastating five-alarm fire,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I joined Governor Hochul in advocating for this critical assistance through the U.S. Small Business Administration, and I will continue working to deliver the federal resources communities across our state need in the wake of disasters.”

The following groups may be eligible for SBA disaster loans:

• Homeowners: up to $500,000 to repair their primary residence.
• Homeowners and renters: up to $100,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.
• Business owners: up to $2,000,000 for the replacement of real property, inventories, machinery, equipment, and other physical losses.
• Businesses and non-profits: Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2,000,000 to provide necessary working capital until normal operations resume after a disaster.

Applications for disaster loans may be submitted online using the MySBA Loan Portal at https://lending.sba.gov/ or other locally announced locations. Please contact the SBA’s Customer Service Center by email at [email protected] or by phone at 1-800-659-2955 for further assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. The application deadline for physical loans is January 13, 2026 and the application for economic injury loans is August 14, 2026.

SBA loans can be very helpful to eligible parties who need financial assistance to get on the road to recovery following weather-related disasters and other emergencies.

About the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services provides leadership, coordination and support for efforts to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorism, natural disasters, threats, fires and other emergencies. For more information, visit the DHSES Facebook page, follow @NYSDHSES on X, or visit dhses.ny.gov.

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