A quiet Friday morning in East New York turned chaotic for a short stretch when two separate fires flared up within minutes of each other, drawing a heavy FDNY response, filling residential blocks with smoke, and sending hoses snaking across the pavement. Both fires were quickly contained and officials said there were no reported injuries.
The first alarm came in at 7:50 a.m. for a fire on Belmont Avenue between Shepherd Avenue and Berriman Street, where firefighters arrived to find flames on the second floor of a two-story multiple dwelling. Roughly 35 minutes later, at 8:25 a.m., another call sent crews racing to Hegeman Avenue between Georgia Avenue and Sheffield Avenue for a first-floor blaze in a separate two-story multiple dwelling.
According to officials, FDNY deployed 21 units and 79 fire and EMS personnel to each incident. The Belmont Avenue fire was brought under control at about 8:20 a.m., and the Hegeman Avenue blaze was contained at about 8:52 a.m. No injuries were reported in either case, as reported by Brooklyn Paper.
FDNY Response and Investigation
Fire Marshals have opened investigations at both locations to determine the origin and cause of the blazes, city officials said. The FDNY’s Bureau of Fire Investigation handles this type of work, leading origin-and-cause probes and pursuing criminal or administrative enforcement when appropriate, according to FDNY.
What Neighbors Should Know
City officials have repeatedly warned that lithium-ion batteries are a growing cause of structural fires and have urged New Yorkers to take charging and storage practices seriously. The Mayor’s Office and FDNY have advised residents to follow manufacturer guidelines, avoid charging batteries on beds or sofas, keep chargers away from anything that can burn, and report hazardous charging operations to 311, per a city release…