A two-alarm fire tore through a century-old apartment building at 717 Avenue C in Kensington on Sunday, injuring two people and forcing two families out of their homes under a city vacate order. The blaze started shortly before noon, blowing out windows and sending firefighters into a battle before it was brought under control in just over an hour.
According to News 12 New York, firefighters responding to the scene found heavy smoke and flames shooting from a third-floor window, according to FDNY. Paramedics transported the two injured people, both with minor injuries, to Maimonides Hospital for treatment. Maimonides Medical Center, located roughly a mile west in Borough Park, is a hospital serving southern Brooklyn.
A neighbor described watching the smoke change color as the fire intensified, saying the white smoke suddenly became black smoke coming out of the building. Betty Cruc, another neighbor, said the fire was scary and that she thought about the families inside as it unfolded, per the same News 12 account. By the time crews knocked the flames down, piles of damaged personal belongings sat outside the building alongside windows blown out by the heat.
Vacate Order Locks Families Out Overnight
The fire caused significant damage to the building, and the New York City Department of Buildings issued a vacate order that prevented at least two families from staying in their homes Sunday night, per the report. A full vacate order bars tenants from reentry until conditions at the property are addressed, according to NYC.gov. Such orders are posted in a prominent place on the affected property.
The building itself is a four-story, 24-unit pre-war rental structure originally built in 1923 and managed under 707S Associates LLC, according to StreetEasy. The property has a notable history of severe, unresolved structural and safety issues.
The cause of Sunday's fire was not immediately known, per News 12's report. The New York State Homes and Community Renewal page addresses fire-damaged apartments subject to vacate orders. Tenants facing displacement can consult that information during repairs.
Red Cross Steps In As Displacement Timeline Unfolds
The American Red Cross helped the displaced families find temporary shelter Sunday, per the same News 12 account. HPD provides emergency relocation and rehousing assistance to eligible households, according to NYC.gov.
Sunday's response mobilized a large share of FDNY's firefighting resources in the area. Transmitting a two-alarm fire dispatch calls for assignments of engines, ladders, chiefs and specialty units, under FDNY operational response protocols detailed by FDNewYork.com. Second-alarm assignments add to the initial first-alarm response.
Part Of A Troubling Pattern In Central Brooklyn
This is not the first major fire to hit the Kensington area this year. In June, a fast-moving fire tore through two neighboring apartment buildings on Ocean Parkway in Kensington, displacing dozens from Kensington homes. The broader area has also seen other fires.
The Sunday fire also adds to the broader discussion of serious fire incidents. The report did not address the role of interior doors in flame and smoke spread.
For now, the cause of the Avenue C blaze remains undetermined, and the two displaced families face an uncertain timeline before they can return home. Whether they seek information from New York State Homes and Community Renewal, and how quickly the Department of Buildings clears the property for reentry, will determine how long their displacement lasts.
