12 people recovering after fire fills NYCHA building with smoke in Downtown Brooklyn
Crews were able to get the fire under control in about an hour.
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Twelve people, including four children, are recovering after a fire broke out inside a NYCHA building at the Farragut Houses in Downtown Brooklyn Friday evening.
The FDNY says the fire started around 7 p.m. in the building’s garbage compactor chute at 177 Sands St. That’s what sent thick smoke rushing through all 14 floors of the building.
Neighbors say it was a scary scene.
“It’s a lil nerve-wracking having my sister be on the phone with me,” one person said. “My mother personally heard kids screaming from the floor below us.”
Video from the scene shows a large FDNY response, with fire trucks and emergency vehicles lining the intersection of Gold and Sands streets. In total, about 78 firefighters and EMTs from 20 FDNY units responded.
Crews were able to get the fire under control in about an hour. Officials say everyone made it out safely.
Twelve people were hurt, mostly due to smoke inhalation. Thankfully, everyone is expected to be okay.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
