Photo taken on May 2, 2006 shows the smoke come out from the warehouse on the East River in Brooklyn in New York of US. A warehouse here caught fire on Tuesday. The smoke could be seen for miles as firefighters tried to extinguish it from land and boats. There were no immediate reports of injuries. (Xinhua Photo)

    NEW YORK, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Firefighters are still fighting the city's worst fire in a decade, excluding the World Trade Center disaster in Sept. 11, at a vacant warehouse along the East River waterfront in Brooklyn on Tuesday.

    The fire which started early morning, sent plumes of thick black smoke over the city that could be seen for miles, as hundreds of firefighters worked to gain control of the situation. But officials with the Fire Department said the fire will not be completely extinguished for another 24 hours.

    "They're warehouses and there are materials in there that are very flammable," said Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta. "A lotof radiant heat from the fire, so it was a difficult fire to fight. And our firefighters had to be careful how close they got."

    Flames enveloped the complex of seven vacant warehouses, blocking out the morning light and filling the neighborhood with acrid smoke, and collapsing several building walls.

    The commissioner said they will not evacuate the area, but asks people to stay away as much as possible to make it easier for the firefighters.

    So far eight firefighters have minor injuries. Two firefighters were taken to a nearby hospital and the others were treated at thescene.

    The warehouse complex is officially unoccupied, though it was not clear whether squatters were living there. Neither was it clear what was inside the warehouses, but fire officials said bales of cloth burned in one of the buildings.

    The fire is being investigated as suspicious. Enditem