This morning, a four-alarm fire erupted in a Williamsburg home on Humboldt Street, resulting in injuries to two residents and three firefighters. The blaze, which initiated around 2 a.m., quickly intensified and spread to adjacent buildings. In total, five individuals were reported hurt, and the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) states that the two residents sustained burns to the face and were transported to New York Presbyterian Hospital for treatment. According to ABC7 New York, the firefighters' injuries were minor.
Firefighters battled the aggressive flames in challenging conditions as near-freezing temperatures caused water to ice on the ground. Nearly 200 FDNY and EMS personnel were needed on site to combat the fire, and as reported by PIX11 News, the response escalated to four alarms within an hour of the fire's discovery. The FDNY warned of traffic disruptions in the surrounding area, including Humboldt Street, Meeker Avenue, and west of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway overpass.
The impact of the fire led to full vacate orders being issued for 494 and 496 Humboldt Street by New York City Department of Buildings inspectors. The properties were ordered sealed for public safety, and the building owners must now construct a tight board fence around the sites. Additionally, they are tasked with securing a Professional Engineer to assess the structural stability of the affected buildings and report back to the Department, as detailed by ABC7 New York. Meanwhile, the residence at 492 Humboldt Street suffered minor damage.
One neighbor caught in the calamity, Bianca Arroyo, told ABC7 New York about her friend's distress, "She's just crying hysterically and her dog," as the fire's timing couldn’t be more tragic with the holiday season upon them. The Red Cross is assisting two individuals displaced by the event. As the fire marshals work to identify the fire's cause, the community begins the arduous process of recovery and rebuilding.
