A three-alarm fire tore through a three-story building in Borough Park early Monday morning, displacing more than a dozen residents and heavily damaging a shoe store and apartments above it, officials said.
Firefighters responded to 3901 13th Ave. around 2 a.m., according to the FDNY, and encountered heavy smoke billowing from the mixed-occupancy building. Residents reported smelling gas and hearing an explosion moments before the fire broke out.
Engine Company 282 and Ladder Company 148 forced their way into smoke-filled units and found the fire burning in the rear of Savon Shoes on the first floor. Officials said flames had traveled through “void spaces” to the apartments above.
“The building lacked windows for ventilation purposes, making the fire tougher for our members to fight,” FDNY Chief Kevin Brennan said. “The department store had a lot of stock. We had fire travel to the second floor through the void spaces, making it labor-intensive for our units.”
More than 125 FDNY personnel worked to bring the fire under control, using six hose lines on the first floor, the stairwell, and the second floor. Officials said that searches throughout the building were negative.
Describing the smokey scene, one resident said: “You couldn’t see the block, that’s how heavy the smoke was. It was like nothing I’d seen before.”
The American Red Cross was on the scene assisting 20 displaced residents. One family was seen cradling their dog on the sidewalk as firefighters battled the flames.
The fire was declared under control at 3:45 a.m. The cause remains under investigation by FDNY Fire Marshals.
The Department of Buildings’ (DOB) Emergency Response Team is set to assess the structural stability of the building.
According to DOB records, the building has five open violations for failures to file periodic boiler inspections.
Additional reporting by Adam Daly
