A harrowing four-alarm fire destroyed a Brooklyn Heights brownstone and left firefighters briefly trapped Friday morning.
Fire officials say the blaze broke out just after 6 am in the rear of 132 Montague St. near Henry Street. Firefighters received a call at 6:08 am and were on the scene within five minutes, according to Chief of Operation John Hodgens.
Hodgens said smoke eaters quickly found fire on the second, third, fourth, and fifth floors of the building and worked to extinguish it over the course of two hours.
A group of firefighters became briefly trapped within the building but were quickly removed, according to the department. Four firefighters were injured, including one who suffered a neck injury. No civilians were injured, but one resident of the building was displaced from their home.
“It’s extremely difficult, it’s a very emotional and nerve-wracking situation,” said Hodgens. “But we’re trained to do it.”
The building is situated within the Montague Street commercial corridor and has a cafe and an eyewear shop on its lower levels.
“It’s a tough time for a fire like this, we have a lot of businesses on the block,” said Hodgens. “We wish everybody well, but thank God there were no injuries to civilians.”
Additional reporting by Lloyd Mitchell
