2-alarm fire in Bushwick injures 1 firefighter, displaces multiple tenants
A firefighter is recovering in the hospital, and multiple people are displaced, after a 2-alarm fire Wednesday afternoon in Bushwick.
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A firefighter is recovering in the hospital, and multiple people are displaced, after a 2-alarm fire Wednesday afternoon in Bushwick.
The FDNY said the fire started around 12:45 p.m. at 1086 Myrtle Ave., located between Lewis Ave. and Broadway.
The Department of Buildings told News 12 there were illegal, single-room occupancies inside the three-story commercial complex.
One tenant described the setup as “like a college dorm room.”
“There’s shared kitchen and bathroom spaces, but each of us has our own studio room,” said Austin McCaslin-Doyle, a tenant.
The Red Cross said they're helping 14 adults from 13 households.
Citizen App video showed thick black smoke and flames shooting from the building.
Fire officials said it took about 140 first responders approximately 90 minutes to get it under control.
An FDNY source on scene told News 12 that they found propane tanks on the roof of the building, where there's a patio area. The tanks did not appear to start the fire, and the exact cause is under investigation.
“We heard a boom [while we were in] our room, and then the girl who lives in [another unit] came and knocked on our door and said, ‘Fire,’” said Peter Vandunk, a tenant. “So, as we were rushing out, there was a fire extinguisher. I grabbed it and tried to go up there to see what was going on, but then [the fire] got too big for the fire extinguisher.”
Tenants said the smoke alarms inside of the building went off, but the sprinkler system did not.
