Six people died in a fire that ravaged a New York home early Thursday and seven others were injured, including three firefighters, the city’s fire department said.
The major fire was reported early overnight in Brooklyn and sent more than 200 first responders rushing to deal with the blaze and people trapped by it in the city’s Sunset Park neighborhood.
It took about three hours to bring the fire under control after it spread throughout the building and another home, and an investigation was underway to determine the cause. Flames tore through a two-story home after the fire broke out Thursday on 58th Street, between 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue, around 1:40 a.m., witnesses and authorities said.
One or two lithium-ion batteries were found at the scene, but it is unclear if that was related to the cause of the fire, the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) said.
However, fires caused by batteries used in electric bicycles, electronic chargers and various household appliances have increased across the country.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani praised firefighters and first responders during his television appearance Thursday morning.
“We are currently following this fire that has claimed the lives of six New Yorkers. It is devastating and reflects a number of things. First, I always want to recognize the courage of our firefighters, who respond every day, no matter the level of danger, to seek to save lives,” he said.
Second, the mayor said he wanted to address fire prevention and safety.
“We are investigating the cause of this fire, but I can tell you that e-bike fires as a whole have increased to over 400 fires this year (in New York). They can cause the death of people as well as their livelihoods. We are really looking at all possibilities, we have to keep them safe,” Mamdani added, as reported by ABC News.
Four people died at the scene of Thursday’s fire, the FDNY said, and two seriously injured people were pronounced dead at the hospital. Four people were injured, but their lives are not in danger.
Three firefighters were slightly injured. No names or ages of the victims were released Thursday morning.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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