NY Apartment Fire Traps Firefighters and Kills a Resident

Fire in New York traps firefighters, takes life of 1 resident

An apartment fire in Brooklyn, New York, took one life and left three others with injuries before firefighters were able to get it under control. The fire took place in the Unity Plaza Houses, which are run by the city. The six-story building, which is located on Georgia Avenue, started to burn sometime around three in the morning.

The fire quickly roared through an apartment on the second floor, and some residents were trapped on that floor. Two of them had been overcome by smoke, and they were unconscious.

Things quickly went from bad to worse when firefighters arrived, however. Some of the firefighters, who were with Ladder 103, hurried inside the building to save those who were trapped. Part of the ceiling fell down on them, though, and the firefighters also were trapped in the burning apartment complex.

One of the residents searched through the smoke for his sons and his aunt. He was able to find his boys and help them escape through a fire escape, but he was unable to get to his aunt in time. She passed away from her injuries. One of her friends, who was also on the second floor, jumped out of a window. That friend is listed as being in critical condition.

While the cause of the fire is still officially unknown, one person speculated that it could have been an electrical fire, pointing out how fast it had moved through the building.

In any case like this, determining the cause of the fire is very important for those who were injured, seeing as how they may have claim to compensation for medical bills after the fire. To determine their course of action, they need to know if the owners of the building are responsible or if there was another reason for the fire, such as arson or an accident caused by a resident.

Source: WABC, “East New York fire leaves 1 dead, 3 others hurt” Tim Fleischer, Jun. 02, 2014