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Brooklyn Apartment Fire Kills 5, Injures Numerous Firefighters
NEW YORK - A fire that tore through a Brooklyn building that housed mostly Guatemalan immigrants and killed at least five people on Saturday may have been intentionally set, a fire official said.
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The early morning blaze is being investigated as a possible case of arson because it started behind the door of the first-floor entrance to the building, New York City Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano said.
"That's not where a fire would normally start," Cassano said after surveying the devastation of the fire, which trapped residents and caused part of the roof to collapse.
Four people in the building were injured, including an infant and a child who were tossed out the window by a woman frantically trying to save them. The infant was in critical condition with a fractured skull after bystanders below failed to catch him, officials and witnesses said. The other child landed on an awning.
At least one adult was hospitalized, and 13 firefighters were injured, none of them seriously, officials said.
The fire started around 2:30 a.m in the Bensonhurst neighborhood, home to a diverse population of Italians, Russians, Hispanics and Chinese. The flames quickly engulfed the three-story building on a busy commercial strip, consuming a ground-floor Japanese restaurant and two apartments on the upper floors.
The stairwell between the floors collapsed, as well as part of the roof, trapping residents, according to fire officials.
Most of the building's residents were from Guatemala, neighbor Juan Gabriel told The New York Times.
As the fire raged, a woman held a baby boy out a third-floor window. Bars covered the lower half of the window, keeping the woman from climbing out, Gabriel said.
"She was screaming, 'Help me, help me,' " Gabriel said. Moments later, she threw the infant out the window to Gabriel and two other men.
In the darkness, the child fell to the ground, authorities said. She then tossed another child out the window. He landed on the awning below.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the woman survived the fire.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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"That's not where a fire would normally start," Cassano said after surveying the devastation of the fire, which trapped residents and caused part of the roof to collapse.
Four people in the building were injured, including an infant and a child who were tossed out the window by a woman frantically trying to save them. The infant was in critical condition with a fractured skull after bystanders below failed to catch him, officials and witnesses said. The other child landed on an awning.
At least one adult was hospitalized, and 13 firefighters were injured, none of them seriously, officials said.
The fire started around 2:30 a.m in the Bensonhurst neighborhood, home to a diverse population of Italians, Russians, Hispanics and Chinese. The flames quickly engulfed the three-story building on a busy commercial strip, consuming a ground-floor Japanese restaurant and two apartments on the upper floors.
The stairwell between the floors collapsed, as well as part of the roof, trapping residents, according to fire officials.
Most of the building's residents were from Guatemala, neighbor Juan Gabriel told The New York Times.
As the fire raged, a woman held a baby boy out a third-floor window. Bars covered the lower half of the window, keeping the woman from climbing out, Gabriel said.
"She was screaming, 'Help me, help me,' " Gabriel said. Moments later, she threw the infant out the window to Gabriel and two other men.
In the darkness, the child fell to the ground, authorities said. She then tossed another child out the window. He landed on the awning below.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the woman survived the fire.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Milan Zukanovic on
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my condolences to the families of victims, and my heart is with the injured firefighters...
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Permalink Reply by Wes on
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So tragic. Thoughts & prayers for all those whose lives have been affected; especially so for the families of the victims.
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Permalink Reply by Scotty Hicks on
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This is a sad time.We as firemen try our very best to tech the general public about fire safety and Prevention.I teach an online class about it with the hope the more and more people will take a interest in making their home fire safe and follow the tips and rules that we teach them.As for the cold blooded murder if that is what is was,the person(s) that set it should be put into prison ans the key be thrown away.Why in the world would someone want to do something like this. I understand that there my have been some disagreements between one or more of the people living in the building but that isn't any reason to cost 5 people to be burnt alive.It pains me to hear of such things. I hope they catch who ever did this.
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Permalink Reply by Kirk D. Baughman on
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very sad hope you guys caught the person that started the fire. it's very sad to hear about people being killed in fires that are case of arsons. i
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Permalink Reply by John Rulli Jr. on
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What a chilling story! God bless everyone involved!
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Permalink Reply by Dennis Hiscock on
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thoughts and prayers are sent to everyone injured in this fire....everyone from my detachment are thinking about you
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