Early Friday morning, a third-alarm fire ravaged a multifamily home in Borough Park, Brooklyn, resulting in injuries to two firefighters and a civilian. According to ABC7 New York, the fire started in the basement of the residence on 39th Street at about 6:42 a.m. and escalated quickly, spreading to all floors through a pipe chase and into an adjacent building.
The density of fire and smoke posed significant challenges for the FDNY, which responded with 33 units and 138 fire and EMS personnel. It took them approximately two and a half hours to extinguish the blaze. FDNY Deputy Chief Russ Regan elucidated on the conditions, "It was a challenging fire. Inside, it was tight for members to move around and get these hose lines in position, and the cold weather makes it more challenging for the members to operate," Regan told ABC7 New York.
Neighborhood residents experienced significant distress as a result of the fire, with smoke permeating surrounding areas. As one longtime resident, Alan Goldstone, explained in a statement obtained by Brooklyn News12, "I could not breathe in my own apartment. I checked Citizen, and it was an inferno. They've had a couple issues here before but nothing like this." His account illustrates the severity of the situation on the ground, where the fire's impact extended beyond the immediate premises involved.
The injured parties were taken to area hospitals with minor injuries but are expected to make a full recovery. Meanwhile, the city's Department of Buildings is set to assess the damage to both affected structures. While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, fire officials are working diligently to determine the origin and the factors that contributed to its rapid spread throughout the home and to the neighboring building.
