Firefighters battled a pair of large blazes in Cypress Hill and Borough Park on Sunday, leaving five people and one FDNY member injured.
The Cypress Hill inferno broke out just before 10 p.m. at 74 Arlington Ave, and sent 12 FDNY units rushing to the scene with 60 smoke eaters to quash the fire as smoke pour from the second floor of the six story apartment building.
Firefighters were confronted with people hanging from the windows during the late night fire, with witnesses at the scene alleging that one man jumped to safety from the smoke-filled building.
According to officials, four residents suffered minor injuries while one person was seriously injured.
While searching the apartment smoke eaters rescued a cat from the blaze. The cat was turned over to EMS Paramedics in serious condition. They were able to resuscitate the feline, who used up one of his 9 lives.
The FDNY’s Hazmat Company 1 was called in to confiscate lithium batteries from the scene, continuing the trend of E-bikes’ lithium-ion batteries causing an increasing number of major fires across the city.
Though, an FDNY spokesperson said the cause of the blaze is sill under investigation.
The fire was declared under control by 11:12 p.m.
Separately on Sunday morning, firefighters battled a fire in a top floor apartment at 1639 43 St. in Borough Park
First arriving units were confronted with heavy fire showing from the third floor window just after 10:40 a.m.
FDNY had been advised of children trapped in the fire apartment but following a search throughout the apartment no one was found.
In total, 60 firefighters responded to the blaze, the cause of which remains under investigation by the fire marshal’s office.
Fire Department personnel utilized two hose-lines to knock down the main body of fire. No civilians were hurt, and one firefighter who suffered injuries was transported to Maimonides Hospital where he was treated.
