Early morning fire damages Flatlands home; family escapes safely
The fire broke out just after 4 a.m. at a two-story house on East 55th Street between Avenues K and L, according to the fire department.
A family is safe after an early morning fire damaged the second floor of their Flatlands home Tuesday.
The fire broke out just after 4 a.m. at a two-story house on East 55th Street between Avenues K and L, according to the fire department.
The homeowner told News 12 she was asleep when her son woke her up, telling her they needed to get out because there was a fire.
She said she found flames in a second-floor hallway and tried to put them out before firefighters arrived.
The homeowner said crews got to the house quickly and stopped the fire from spreading through the rest of the home.
Video from the scene showed second-floor windows removed and heavy smoke damage inside the house.
The homeowner, who said she has lived in the home with her son since 1996, remained outside Tuesday morning as neighbors stopped to check on the family.
One neighbor, Tonya, said she was relieved everyone made it out safely.
"I'm thankful that my neighbors are OK. We've been here for over 30 years, so they're family—they're not even neighbors. I'm just glad that everyone's OK. Things are replaceable. Lives aren't."
As emergency crews worked at the scene, News 12 also observed NYPD officers issuing tickets to vehicles parked next to a fire hydrant.
The fire department said the call came in at 4:02 a.m. About 80 firefighters and EMS personnel responded, and the fire was brought under control by 4:37 a.m.
No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
