Seven civilians and one firefighter were injured Thursday morning in a three-alarm fire in a Kensington building.
Firefighters arrived at at 382 E. Ninth St., between Avenue C and Cortelyou Road, just before 4 am to find heavy fire emitting from the second and third floor of two private, attached residences.
Fire suppression units made up of 150 firefighters used five hose-lines to knock down the main body of the blaze, as heavy smoke and flames vented from one of the building’s attic.
“There was an orange fire ball from the front of the residences. It looked like something out of a movie,” said neighbor Daniel Singh.
It took first responders nearly three hours to subdue the blaze, and bring it under control.
All seven civilians refused medical attention at the scene, according to the Fire Department, and the downed firefighter was taken to Maimonides Medical Center with “minor injuries.”
This is the second multiple-alarm fire to impact the tight-knit East Ninth Street community in less than a month. On March 23, smoke eaters rescued a 67-year-old man from the basement of 739 E. Ninth St., where heavy fire caused a partial collapse of the century-old two-story brick home, pinning two firefighters under rubble. In all, five firefighters were hurt during the inferno, as well as the rescued resident.
Thursday’s fire remains under investigation.
