Six people were killed and seven others were injured after a fire tore through a two-story row house in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood early Thursday, according to the New York City Fire Department and news reports.
The fire was reported at about 1:40 a.m. on 58th Street. More than 200 firefighters and other first responders were sent to the scene, and crews brought the blaze under control roughly three hours later.
Four people were pronounced dead at the scene. Two others who were critically injured died after being taken to a hospital, the Associated Press reported. Four additional civilians suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and three firefighters had minor injuries.
The victims’ names and ages had not been released as of Thursday morning.
Fire marshals are investigating the cause. Officials said a lithium-ion battery was found at the scene, but they had not determined whether it was connected to the fire. That distinction is important because investigators had not identified a cause and the presence of a battery alone does not establish how the blaze started.
WABC reported that the fire appeared to have begun on the second floor before spreading through the building. The home sustained extensive damage, and the American Red Cross was assisting residents displaced by the fire.
The response remained active Thursday morning as firefighters checked the damaged structure for hidden pockets of fire. Authorities said the investigation was continuing.
Sources: Associated Press — House fire in Brooklyn kills 6 people and injures 7: https://apnews.com/article/bb3c0c9753d0e64ec994cc892f32170e WABC — Six people killed after three-alarm fire in Sunset Park: https://abc7ny.com/post/6-dead-3-alarm-fire-tears-sunset-park-home-brooklyn/20017265/