Two people were critically hurt in a fire that erupted at a Brooklyn synagogue early Friday, trapping people on the third floor as firefighters dashed in with a bucket truck to help them to safety.
Firefighters responded to an alarm at the mixed-occupancy building on 60th Street, near 19th Avenue, shortly before 6:30 a.m. and encountered heavy smoke upon arrival. A synagogue occupies the first two floors; an apartment is atop.
Fire officials say it appears the blaze broke out in a second-floor kitchen and while the flames were mostly contained to that spot, the smoke spread rapidly. Three people had to be helped from a third-floor window, officials said.
It wasn't clear if that trio included the two who were critically injured. A total of five people were transported to hospitals. No details on the victims were immediately available.
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A cause of the fire is under investigation.
