Firefighter, child, 2 others hurt as fire crews battle 5-alarm fire in Kensington, Brooklyn
KENSINGTON, Brooklyn (WABC) -- At least four people were hurt after a five-alarm fire broke out inside a bakery in Brooklyn on Wednesday.
The blaze started inside Boro Park Seder Matzah Bakery at 1285 36th Street in Kensington around 2 a.m.
Firefighters say the fire started near where the bakery ovens are located, and spread quickly, catching stacked up matzah boxes on fire and also the Jewish ceremonial unleavened flatbread.
More than 175 firefighters and EMS personnel responded.
Earlier Wednesday morning, firefighters worked through heavy smoke conditions to access the roof of the bakery.
After a rear wall partially collapsed, a firefighter was briefly trapped.
"There was a collapse of the rear portion. It trapped one of our members, but were were quickly able to extricate that member from the scene. He did suffer some serious injuries, and he went to a local hospital with burns to his hands, and also some potential respiratory burns. Last report is that member is now stable," Assistant Fire Chief Mike Woods said.
A child and two adults in a building nearby were also injured. Woods said one of the adults had "a serious respiratory injury" and the FDNY later stated that the other adult and the child had minor injuries. They are all receiving treatment and are in stable condition.
Next to the building, there's a school where hundreds of kids under the age of 13 attend. They watched from windows for much of the morning.
The Boro Park Seder Matzah Bakery dates back to 1909 on the Lower East Side, later moving to Brooklyn in 1920. The bakery produces more than 600,000 pounds of matzah each year, much of it for Passover.
"This is where so many people get their matzo, a lot of matzo was made here," said neighbor and customer Naftuly Feferkorn.
The Department of Buildings has issued a full vacate order due to "extensive fire damage including a partially collapsed roof."
The DOB also says they found adjacent properties, including 1287 and 1301 36th Street, had fire damage.
FDNY Fire Marshals are working to determine the cause of the fire.
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