Firefighters rescued 11 residents and two firefighters sustained minor injuries during a two-alarm fire in Sunset Park on Tuesday night.
Units from the Sunset Park 40th Battalion arrived at 881 Fifth Ave. shortly after 8:45 p.m. to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the second floor and spreading to the third floor of the four-story mixed-use building. Firefighters quickly deployed a ground ladder to bring the victims to safety. Six civilians were transported to area hospitals for smoke inhalation.
“There was smoke pouring out from the windows when the firefighters arrived,” witness Carlos Baez told Brooklyn Paper. “They moved very quickly.”
Several residents were seen holding their pets and personal belongings on the sidewalk.
In total, just over 100 firefighters responded to the scene and used two hose lines to control the main body of the fire. The blaze was brought under control at 9:50 p.m. The FDNY Fire Marshal’s Office will investigate the cause and origin of the fire.
