Homeless woman found dead after fire rips through vacant building in Dyker Heights
DYKER HEIGHTS, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A homeless woman was found dead after a fire ripped through a vacant building in Brooklyn.
The fatal fire happened just after 8 a.m. on Tuesday at a home on 67th Street between 12th Avenue and 13th Avenue.
Upon arrival, firefighters found the 40-year-old woman's body in the alleyway in the rear of the building.
"She had built a shanty in between the basement entrance, where she was squatting illegally. There was an entranceway knocked in the cinderblock so she could make entry into the building. She was squatting in the alley and the basement of the building," said FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief David Simms during a morning press conference.
Officials added that responding firefighters encountered a heavy body of fire at the building, and that there was a delay in getting water on the fire due to the building being sealed with cinder blocks. While there were no water issues due to the weather, officials said that arduous, cold conditions make for a difficult fire.
Three firefighters suffered minor injuries while battling the fire. They were transported to local hospitals for treatment.
The damaged building was the site of five previous fires in the past two years, according to the FDNY.
Officials say the building is unstable and its fate is up to the NYC Department of Buildings.
Fire marshals are now trying to determine the cause of the fire.
ALSO READ: 3 people dead after fire rips through home in Bayside, Queens
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