A fatal fire in Brooklyn's Bay Ridge neighborhood claimed one life and injured two others, due to flames that engulfed a four-story building on 80th Street just after 3:30 a.m. yesterday. Among the victims was a 37-year-old man who did not survive; a 34-year-old woman and a 2-year-old boy were taken to NYU Langone Brooklyn with critical injuries, according to PIX11. Diksha Bagade, a student who escaped with her roommate, recounted the terrifying moments as smoke seeped from beneath the floor, urging them to evacuate and, when they saw the occupants of the apartment below on stretchers, Bagade emotionally recalled, "When we were moving into the apartment, they were really nice and sweet like 'if you need something, please let us know.'"
Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire but what has been spotlighted by the FDNY is the obstacles presented by two cars parked too close to nearby fire hydrants, compromising the response time of the fire services; with one of the cars having etched, possibly out of frustration or despair, the words “GET OFF HYDRANT” in the snow, which the sleuthing of firefighters managed to reveal, according to PIX11. FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker issued a reminder about the critical importance of leaving fire hydrants accessible, stressing that every second is precious in an emergency and having to navigate around a parked vehicle can waste valuable time, he remarked in a statement obtained by ABC7NY.
Concerns remain whether the delayed access to the fire hydrants could have altered the tragic outcome and perhaps, given the tight timeframe in which firefighters operate, contributed to saving the man's life, a question that now hangs heavy over Bay Ridge. Commissioner Tucker pleaded with New Yorkers to not park near hydrants, as quoted by PIX11, "There’s no time to waste working around a parked car when lives are on the line." The FDNY has reiterated that vehicles should be parked no less than 15 feet from a hydrant, translating roughly to about three cement sidewalk squares in distance.
Violators who park in front of fire hydrants in New York City may face fines of $115, a deterrent that the FDNY hopes will prevent future delays in their life-saving work additionally, residents have the option to report such violations to 311 in an attempt to ensure that access to these vital resources is maintained in the event of another such calamity.
