BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) – A fire at an NYCHA complex on Sunday evening sent seven people to the hospital including two young children and two firefighters; an FDNY spokesperson said.
FDNY personnel responded to a 911 call of a fire in progress at 7:20 p.m., within 16 minutes of battling the blaze a four-alarm fire was called, according to Chief of Fire Operations John Esposito.
Officials said the fire started on scaffolding on the fourth floor of the NYCHA complex on Schenck Boulevard in East New York.
“A total of 12 apartments were affected and many of them had significant amounts of damage to the interior,” Esposito said. “The flames from the fire were so high that it broke windows and the fire affected multiple floors.”
It took 180 FDNY members including EMTs to get the fire under control.
The seven individuals were all taken to Kings County Hospital, five of them suffered from smoke inhalation, while the two FDNY members sustained injuries.
It remains unclear whether the families affected by the fire will be able to return to their homes.
The Fire Marshall is currently investigating the cause of the fire.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.