6 Firefighters, 1 Officer Hurt In Massive Brooklyn Fire
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- At least six firefighters and an officer were injured after a three-alarm fire broke out in Brooklyn.
The fire began at a three-story building near the corner Bergen Street and Franklin Avenue around 9:15 p.m. Tuesday and spread to two neighboring buildings.
Temperatures were in the single digits as crews worked to extinguish the blaze with water instantly freezing on branches.
Assistant Fire Chief Roger Sakowich says occupants of all of the buildings self-evacuated before firefighters arrived, and there were no civilian injuries.
Sakowich says three firefighters were hurt climbing a staircase that gave way inside one of the buildings, but says the injuries were not serious.
Officials say the injuries of three other firefighters and an officer were not reported to be serious.
New York City's bravest have been extremely busy during the recent cold snap, battling several large fires. As WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported, it's high season for building fires.
The Crown Heights fire came less than 24 hours after a seven-alarm blaze left 23 people hurt in the Bronx and just days after the city's deadliest fire in decades.
"I'm sure weather and heating devices are playing a part in this," FDNY Chief Roger Sakowich told Diamond. "I can't say that that's what happened here, but the building is closed up tight and they are getting a good start."
One third of all home fires in New York City occur in the cold, winter months when conditions sometimes delay response times, according to Glenn Corbett, a professor of fire science at John Jay College.
"During the winter time, one of the things that we unfortunately have to deal with are frozen fire hydrants. And the longer it takes to get water to the fire engines, the larger the fire is going to be," he said.
The cause of the Crown Heights fire is unknown.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
