On the afternoon of May 17th, a two-story residential building in the Bronx caught fire, resulting in a second alarm fire. During the extinguishing process, three firefighters were injured. Fortunately, there were no civilian casualties in this fire, but five residents were forced to evacuate their homes. The Red Cross is currently providing accommodation for them.
According to Mayor Adams and Fire Department Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, the fire broke out at 344 White Plains Road, spreading from the basement to the first and second floors of the two-story residential building. Nearby structures were also affected by the fire. Firefighters quickly arrived at the scene and started to control the fire in an effort to prevent it from spreading to adjacent buildings.
During the firefighting operation, one firefighter collapsed unconscious due to difficulty breathing. After receiving rapid medical treatment and medication injection, the firefighter regained consciousness and was taken to Jacobi Hospital for further treatment. Currently, the firefighter is in stable condition and under observation at the hospital. Of the other two injured firefighters, one is expected to be discharged the same night, while the other has already been treated and discharged.
The Mayor and the Fire Department expressed their gratitude to the medical team at Jacobi Hospital for their efforts in treating the injured firefighters. The Fire Department is currently investigating the specific cause of the fire, including whether there were issues with the firefighters’ breathing apparatus leading to smoke inhalation and if there were any suspicious circumstances surrounding the fire. Preliminary investigation results show no clear signs indicating that the fire was a suspicious incident.