A two-alarm house fire in Bed-Stuy displaced 11 people and injured two, including a firefighter, on Saturday.
The blaze broke out on the second floor of a two-family home on the 500 block of Halsey Street at 9:30 a.m. on July 5, according to the FDNY. By the time firefighters arrived on the scene, the flames had spread to the third floor and to an adjacent building, and cluttered conditions inside — as well as high temperatures and humidity outside — hampered firefighting efforts.
More than 100 firefighters were called to battle the blaze, and were able to bring it under control by 10:30 a.m. One firefighter and one civilian were hospitalized with minor injuries, per the FDNY.
The city’s Department of Buildings issued full vacate orders for the building where the fire started and one next door, records show, due to severe and extensive fire, smoke, and water damage that broke windows and left a hole in one building’s roof. Another neighboring building was deemed non-code-compliant due to minor smoke and water damage, but was not vacated.
Residents were not able to returned to their damaged homes, according to the American Red Cross, who responded to the scene, and four households – including nine adults and two children — were displaced and registered for temporary shelter and financial assistance. The org urged any locals who had been impacted and had not connected with the Red Cross to call 1-877-RED CROSS (877-733-2767) and select Option 1.
The cause of the blaze was not immediately clear, and will be investigated by the FDNY’s fire marshal. Per city records, the building didn’t have any active violations from the DOB or the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
