2 FDNY Firefighters and an FDNY lieutenant were seriously injured earlier when a fire tore through a pair of homes in a Staten Island duplex, causing a section of the building to collapse.
The fire in the two-story structure came in at about 1330 hours. Companies arrived with heavy fire conditions, fed by strong winds.
“As the firefighters were inside searching for occupants, the windows failed and the wind blew the fire intensely into the building right at the firefighters,” FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens said.
“Two of them became trapped by fire. One was able to make their way to a balcony and jump off the second floor balcony down into the driveway. And one transmitted a mayday signal that he was in distress and he was on the second floor.” A backup squad quickly arrived and rescued the lieutenant from the second floor, Chief Hodgens said.
He further said a firefighter holding a hose became a bit disoriented. “He got hit in the head by maybe falling plaster and it knocked his mask off his face a little bit and he took a good amount of smoke. Another Firefighter was pulled unconscious from the collapse, and was later diagnosed with a brain injury before regaining consciousness. A second firefighter suffered a pelvic injury, and the fire lieutenant was being treated for burns. They are all alert, but in serious condition.
Firefighters may have arrived sooner if a nearby engine company had not been out of service. “The closest firehouse to this fire, Engine 167, was actually closed today due to scheduled firefighter medical exams,” Uniformed Firefighters Association President Andrew Ansbro said in a statement. Compounding the company being out of service, a responding engine company was involved in a crash on the way to the scene.
INTERVIEW WITH THE DEPUTY CHIEF:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM75YU-8SOQ
VIDEO OF FIRE CONDITIONS:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vlg_16Yjuw