Saturday, January 30, 2010

Bensonhurst fire kills 5; baby is critical


From Eyewitness News:

A massive fire in a three-story Brooklyn apartment building has killed five people, and left a baby in critical condition.

The fire went to three alarms and the building was fully engulfed in flames.

When the fire was first brought under control, that is when fire officials found three people dead inside the building. Eyewitness News is told two more bodies were later found, bringing the death toll to five.

The fire broke out at around 2:30 this morning at 2033 86th Street in Bensonhurst.

The building has a restaurant on the ground floor and two apartments on the second and third floor.

Fire officials say when they arrived, they were met with a very heavy volume of flames.

One firefighter reportedly fell through the stairs while trying to get upstairs to the apartments.

Two adults were taken to Lutheran Hospital in fair condition.


There were complaints made about an illegal SRO and defective wiring previously, but DOB documented that they were both unfounded.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

and the Bloomturd wants to cut 20 Fire companies and give the money to RATner

Anonymous said...

oh and to more day laborers

Anonymous said...

Seems that illegally modified dwellings will be an ever increasing hazard to endanger Firefighters. The Fire Dept is best qualified to inspect and determine overt building code violations. Let the Fire Marshalls locally follow-up on any complaint that Firefighters see or encounter everyday.
I suggest that when DOB inspectors cannot access buildings it should be turned over to Fire Marshalls whom would be given special powers to enforce the law and gain access strictly for emergency safety inspections to safeguard the public.

Anonymous said...

When these DOB cannot inspect the buildings for 30 days, order the building vacated until it can be inspected. There are currently no consequences now for refusing access to inspectors and it is killing tenants and firefighters.

georgetheatheist said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
PizzaBagel said...

There were complaints made about an illegal SRO and defective wiring previously, but DOB documented that they were both unfounded.

The complaints were unfounded because -- duh -- the DOB inspectors "didn't found nuthin'." Presumably they didn't even get inside, because it sounds like it should have been evident to the most naive individual that there were violations aplenty in the place.

Anonymous said...

i agree with anon.#3.....the authority to enter a, serial illegal conversion ,owner's property should be the Fire Marshall's.
the D.O.B. inspectors have proven incompetent at this time.
after the fire a absentee owner, waited one year and, has been collecting rents 25 years on his illegal conversion.
the d.o.b.has given up or was bribed.do you think he paid income tax on his cash rents ?