A fire broke out in a Brooklyn brownstone that appeared to be home to squatters on Monday night.
At around 7:45 pm on Jan. 11, FDNY responded to a call regarding a fire at 283 Monroe St. in Bedford-Stuyvesant. First responders rushed to the second and third floors and the roof of the building, which was under renovation.
“This is one of the worst fires I’ve seen on this block. There was fire everywhere,” said neighbor Arthur Mac.
The call escalated to a two-alarm fire at 7:55 pm when the blaze started to spread to adjoining properties. The fire was brought under control by 10 pm. One firefighter suffered injuries as a result and was taken to an area hospital.
FDNY Assistant Chief Joseph Jardin said after the fire that there may have been squatters living in the building — an allegation echoed by locals.
“There were squatters in and out of the building,” said Either Nelson. “We’ve called the Buildings Department several times.”
The cause of the fire in under investigation.
This story first appeared on AMNY.com.
