Firefighters battle flames and frozen hydrants as blaze engulfs home in Brooklyn

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Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Firefighters battle flames and frozen hydrants as blaze engulfs Brooklyn home
Anthony Carlo reports from East Flatbush with more on the house fire.

EAST FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (WABC) -- Firefighters battled early morning flames at a home in Brooklyn as sub-freezing temperatures made the fight even tougher.

It happened in the East Flatbush section on East 38th Street just before 1 a.m.

At least five people got out safely but were being treated for minor injuries.

The FDNY says the agency had difficulty fighting the fire as hydrants were frozen and the water used to tackle the flames quickly turned to ice and coated everything.

"I believe there were two frozen hydrants on this block so the water they brought in had to come from the next intersection. It took a little time and any chance we had to get ahead of the fire, we lost it right there," FDNY Deputy Chief James Carney told Eyewitness News.

Once firefighters were able to establish a water source, all of that water soon turned to ice.

Houses on either side of the burning home were also evacuated as firefighters spent hours battling the flames in bitter temperatures.

While the cause of the fire is under investigation, officials believe the blaze started in the attic of the home before spreading to all floors.

At least 13 people were displaced from their homes and are receiving emergency assistance from the Red Cross.

Sanitation crews arrived to the scene to put salt down on the street that had turned into a sheet of ice.

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