A Three-Alarm Fire Reportedly Engulfs NYC Building, Greenpoint Blaze Spreading Rapidly [Breaking]
According to a breaking news report, authorities are on the scene of a three-alarm fire in Brooklyn.
According to an ABC7 NY report, firefighters are battling a blaze in a three-story building located at an address on Diamond Street in Greenpoint. Because the blaze is located in a row of homes in close proximity, the fire is reportedly spreading fast. At this time, there are no reports of injuries.
A tweet from FDNY (Ladder 106) says at least 140 firefighters are on the scene “of the massive blaze.” Moreover, the fire has spread to all levels of the building.
Journalist Tammie Cassie Chan obtained permission to use a video provided by Twitter user, @evenings. It shows firemen desperately trying to extinguish a blaze that is raging and fanned by turrets of wind. The city is still on edge after a woman died in a Valentine’s Day fire in Brooklyn.
Diamond St. Fire. Greenpoint bk. pic.twitter.com/kBZ82SiB61
— evenings ? (@eveningss) February 15, 2016
Another user shared a video from their vantage point. It shows chilling footage of blaze as flames stretch high from its source.
Fire in the building behind my girlfriend’s apartment. Lots of emergency responders already out #greenpoint be safe pic.twitter.com/lBQQ0Od2ss
— Will Buikema (@wbuik) February 15, 2016
New York fire units have fought several blazes in the boroughs in recent history. Days ago, a woman and a boy were critically injured at 115th Street in the King Towers complex, Harlem. It’s unclear how the fire began, but both victims were overcome by smoke inhalation while trying to douse the flames. They were both found on the 14th floor of the building after an exhaustive search and coordination with the emergency dispatcher.
Brian Lavelle is one of many first responders from Ladder 126 at the scene. He spoke with local reporters about the scene and discovery of the young woman and boy.
“I had to get the baby out,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure we got him out to give him the best chance of survival.”
According to a New York Post report, a 30-year-old woman (named not provided) died early Sunday when her apartment went up in flames. The residence is located at 2227 Homecrest Ave. in Sheepshead Bay. Dozens of firefighters from a total of 12 units arrived on the scene soon after receiving reports of a blaze at the location. Investigators say the fire likely started in the basement of the home.
Reportedly, it took only an hour to gain control of the burning building. However, it was too late to save the victim. She was transported to nearby Coney Island Hospital, but died a short time later. Her official cause of death has not been released. Others were evacuated from the burning building and assistance was given to them by local support groups and the Red Cross.
New York City has unique issues that increases chances of fire outbreaks. The city has aging infrastructure and lingering issues with some buildings not being up to code. Another concern is the closeness of adjoining buildings. Many structures were constructed over 100 years ago and very close to one another — likely due to space; the city is a relatively small island. The downside is that if one building catches fire, the adjacent structure will likely suffer damage as well.
The good news is that the City of New York is arguably the best-equipped to handle many types of emergencies and threats to life and property. In other words, the police and fire departments are among the best in the country thanks to the resources available to help address any situation.
This story is developing as authorities continue investigating for a cause.
