A livestream of the fireworks show captured the blaze burning, with what appeared to be workers in hi-vis jackets attempting to douse the flames.
The spectacular fireworks display had illuminated the New York night sky, with reports online suggesting the show was brought to a halt while the fire was tackled.
It remains unclear precisely what ignited the fire or the extent of damage sustained by the iconic structure. Flashing emergency lights were visible near the blaze, along with what appeared to be jets of water directed at it in a bid to extinguish the flames.
The fire is believed to be on the East River side of the bridge.
One eyewitness said: “Oh no! During the NYC America250 Independence Day fireworks celebration, reports emerged that part of the Brooklyn Bridge appeared to be on fire.
” Emergency crews are responding as officials work to determine the cause and assess the situation.”
Another added: “The fireworks are over, but there appears to be a fire on the Brooklyn Bridge.”
Meanwhile, in Washington, severe weather caused disruption to celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary of independence.
Storms prompted a roughly two-hour evacuation of the National Mall. President Donald Trump said he will still speak there later Saturday night.
Trump took to social media to declare his determination to press ahead with his address, writing: “I’m not going to let some rain stop our 250th,” with the speech expected to get under way at around 11pm local time.