New York firefighters encountered a colossal fire that wreaked havoc in Brooklyn Wednesday evening, leaving 30 residents homeless.
A massive fire that began in a supermarket in Brooklyn, N.Y., spread to four neighboring buildings Wednesday evening, causing several minor injuries and displacing around 30 residents, fire officials said.
The fire broke out shortly before 6 p.m. inside Christa's Kitchen and Market on Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn's Bushwick neighborhood, and quickly spread to the wood frame buildings on both sides of the store, according to the New York City Fire Department.
Although firefighters arrived within minutes, Asst. Chief Thomas Currao said at a press conference at the scene that the rapid spread is "one of the challenges in wood-frame construction."
On Wednesday evening, FDNY members responded to reports of smoke in a supermarket at 1385 Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn.
— FDNY (@FDNY) May 2, 2024
Fire and EMS units remain at the scene of the fire with a watchline in place and FDNY Fire Marshals will investigate the cause. pic.twitter.com/18GhUVpjVC
"Will be on scene for quite a while" to fully extinguish the fire, Currao said, noting that the older buildings have "a lot of concealed spaces."
FDNY First Deputy Commissioner Joseph Pfeifer said more than 250 firefighters responded to the fire.
"This fire impacted this community, not only the supermarket that they use but the residents of this community in four different buildings," Pfeifer said. "And our hearts go out to those residents."
Pfeifer said "approximately 30 residents" were displaced from the buildings neighboring the supermarket.
Asst. Chief Cesar Escobar said six firefighters sustained minor injuries, and five of them were transported to hospitals for treatment. One civilian was being treated for smoke inhalation at the scene, he said.
Fire marshals are investigating the cause of the fire.
--with reporting by TMX
