At least 24 firefighters were injured in a massive fire at an apartment complex in the Wingate neighborhood of Brooklyn. Pei-Sze Cheng reports.
At least two dozen firefighters were hurt in a massive six-alarm fire in the Wingate neighborhood of Brooklyn that fire officials believe was sparked by lightning, authorities said.
One civilian was treated at the scene, fire officials said.
More than 200 firefighters battled the blaze at the seven-story apartment building Thursday afternoon. The fire was reported under control by 1:45 p.m., about three and a half hours after it started, the FDNY tweeted from the scene.
Earlier, authorities said a firefighter was in critical condition because of symptoms he was showing at the time of examination. He's now recovering well and is in stable condition with minor injuries.
The entire seventh floor of the building was gutted and hundreds of tenants have been displaced, officials said. Fire marshals have yet to determine for certain whether lightning was the cause, according to FDNY spokesman Frank Dwyer.
A planned news conference was postponed after Charles Wells, the director of response for the American Red Cross of Greater New York, fainted. He was taken to a nearby hospital and is in stable condition.
FDNY tweeted photos from the scene that show flames leaping from the roof of the building as thick black smoke billows into the sky. The complexes houses 115 residential units.
A reception center for displaced residents was set up at PS 397 at 490 Fenimore St., a spokesman for the Red Cross said.
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