Fire displaces several people at East New York home cited for illegal conversion

A fire tore through an East New York home on Tuesday night, displacing several people and injuring one.

The blaze broke out in a two-story home at 331 Van Siclen Ave. just after 5:30 p.m., per the FDNY. When firefighters arrived on the scene, flames had engulfed the rear of the building, spreading from the first floor to the attic.

Roughly 100 firefighters battled the blaze for over an hour, and finally brought it under control shortly before 7 p.m. Nearby fire hydrants, though still covered in snow, were fully functional during the operation.

One person was left with minor injuries, per the FDNY, but 12 were displaced, per the American Red Cross, which offered emergency assistance to residents on the scene. The home sustained significant smoke and water damage, including charred structural elements and a hole in the roof, city records show. The Department of Buildings issued a full vacate order after inspecting the property.

“Our Disaster Action Team helped provide these residents with a safe place to stay, financial assistance and care items to help with short-term recovery needs,” a Red Cross representative told Brooklyn Paper. “Red Cross caseworkers will follow up with these residents in coming days to help identify remaining recovery obstacles and to connect them with government and/or nonprofit partners for help with longer-term recovery support.”

In its post-fire inspection, the DOB also found that the two-family home had been illegally converted into a five-family dwelling.

The department received two complaints about an illegal conversion at the home last year, records show. One complaint, filed last September, alleged that the building owner had “extended and remodeled the whole house without permits and rented to many illegal occupants.”

The building was badly damaged and has a history of issues, records show. Photo by Lloyd Mitchell

DOB inspectors tried to gain access to the property four times last fall, but were denied or ignored. The property is not currently registered with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

The home’s recorded owner, Ashraful Islam, also owns a Crown Heights apartment building that was hit with a stop work order last summer for construction without a permit, documents show. Brooklyn Paper was not able to reach Islam for comment.

Tuesday’s fire was East New York’s third in less than a week. Firefighters battled two separate residential fires in the nabe on Friday, Feb. 6 and Saturday, Feb. 7.

Update 2/26/26: This story has been updated with accurate information about the number of people displaced by the fire.