Four of the victims were critically injured, including a 4-year-old boy, in the blaze on Watson Avenue in the Soundview section.
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The FDNY responded just before 11 a.m. to the fire on the fourth floor the seven-story building.
It took about a half hour to get the flames under control, and firefighters rescued about a dozen people.
"There was heavy smoke and fire coming out several windows, with several occupants calling for help from the inside," an FDNY spokesperson said. "Members made a push and removed people from both the exterior and the interior, with both the tower ladder and through the inside, removed several occupants from the fire apartment and the adjoining apartments. They were removed and handed off to EMS for treatment."
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Four children were injured, including the 4-year-old. Also in critical condition are a 42-year-old man and two women, ages 41 and 33.
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FDNY officials say they believe all four critical patients are members of one family.
Additionally, two 2-year-old girls, a 6-year-old girl, a 22-year-old woman and a 61-year-old women are all in stable condition.
Two firefighters suffered minor injuries.
FDNY Fire Marshals have ruled the fire to be accidental, caused by a lithium ion battery from an electric scooter stored in the living room.
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There were no working smoke alarms in the fire apartment.
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