Nearly a dozen people were hurt, one of them critically, when a fire engulfed a Brooklyn apartment overnight, authorities say. Investigators are looking into the case as a possible arson, and some witnesses said the man may have tried to stop people from getting out.
The FDNY says firefighters responded to a report of a fire on the first floor of a building at Evergreen and Jefferson avenues shortly before 3 a.m. Dozens of firefighters rushed in to get everyone out safely, in some cases pulling families out through windows as the flames tore through the building.
The nature of the victims' injuries wasn't immediately clear.
The victims included babies and children, officials said.
According to the NYPD, many suffered smoke inhalation. The FDNY says one person's injury is life-threatening.
The fire was under control within an hour.
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Police said witnesses stated that a neighbor who has lived on the first floor for more than a year may have used a flammable substance to spark the fire. Neighbors said the man, who is being sought by police, has threatened residents in the past — and one woman said the man even tried to stop people from escaping.
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"My mom was trying to open [the door], but he was stopping it, holding the door like he would not let us out," said Lilia Soriano, who has lived in the building for 20 years. "We’ve always had issues with him. He’s always had episodes."
Some of the neighbors told NBC New York they tried to hold the man down until police arrived, but he was able to get away.
"They put him on a green fence and started punching him. After that, he left the scene," said neighbor John Palma, who also said that the man was "blocking the passageway...trying to make everyone suffocate."
FDNY inspectors remained at the scene into the afternoon looking into the cause of the fire. It was not clear when or if the Department of Buildings would allow residents back into their homes at some point.
