Five people – including two firefighters – were hurt when a massive blaze ripped through a Brooklyn home early Monday, officials said.
The flames erupted around 2 a.m. inside the three-story wood-frame home on Humboldt Street near Richardson Street in Williamsburg – and firefighters were on scene in just over three minutes, according to the FDNY.
“That means from the time that somebody called 911, in 3 minutes and 22 seconds, we had a fire apparatus in front of that building,” FDNY Chief of Fire Operations Kevin Woods told reporters, adding that six hose lines were stretched into the building. “They moved in very aggressively, very deliberately, to attack this fire.”
The fire broke out on the first floor, but ultimately extended to the second and third floors, the cockloft and the building to the left, officials said.
Three firefighters suffered minor injuries while battling the flames, while two residents were left with minor burns – all of whom were taken to the Weill Cornell Medical Center, officials said.
A total of 180 firefighters and EMS personnel responded to the four-alarm blaze, as the winter chill made it challenging for the first responders, according to the FDNY.
“During this cold weather, we have to relieve our units very frequently,” Woods said. “Firefighting is physically demanding, and it just requires that amount of personnel.”
The inferno was placed under control by 4:30 a.m. and the cause remains under investigation by the fire marshal.
The Department of Buildings issued a full vacate order for the building due to extensive smoke and water damage, with the roof open to the elements, records show.
Read the full article here