What to Know
- A two-alarm fire broke out in the middle of a 25-story apartment building in Brooklyn Wednesday
- The cause of the fire is under investigation; authorities say the 12th-floor apartment where it erupted had a lot of clutter
- Nine people were hurt, including five firefighters; all are expected to survive
A two-alarm fire broke out at a high-rise apartment building in Brooklyn Wednesday, spewing thick smoke upwards into neighboring balconies, according to authorities and footage from Chopper 4 at the scene.
Nine people were hurt, three of them seriously, in the blaze on Montgomery Street in Crown Heights. All of the injured, which included four civilians and five firefighters, are expected to survive.
Officials said the fire broke out in a cluttered apartment on the 12th floor shortly after noon; the debris made battling the fire difficult, officials said, but it wasn't clear if that was what caused the blaze.
More than 100 firefighters were on scene by early afternoon. The blaze was declared under control within about two hours.
The city's official emergency notification system tweeted a message warning people about traffic delays in the area. It also said people who live nearby should close their windows to avoid the smoke.
According to public records, the building is more than two dozen stories high and houses about 165 units.
