More than 140 firefighters were battling a "massive" fire at a multi-story home in Brooklyn Sunday night into Monday morning, the FDNY said.
"I look out the window and it was all red," one resident named Steve said. "Fire coming out of the backyard, the whole building looked on fire."
Images from the fire in Greenpoint showed the residential building totally engulfed in flames.
"You could see the embers in the air, it was just like swirling. I guess the wind was carrying it. Then the fire just kept growing and growing," Jill Checker, who was cat-sitting next door, said.
Four people, including two firemen, suffered minor injuries in the blaze, which began sometime before 11 p.m., according to fire officials.
The first started at 47 Diamond St. and spread to two adjacent buildings.
"They said everyone should move back because there was this popping noise. Things were exploding," Checker said, adding that there were lights flickering like firecrackers as the fire took off.
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When Checker realized the neighboring building was on fire, she went back into the home where she was cat-sitting and got Larry the cat, who was not injured.
"I was worried about the smoke so I went back for the cat," Checker said.
A fire official said that all three buildings were damaged and would have to be demolished. He didn't know how many people were forced out of their homes by the fire, but said that all three buildings had been occupied.
The FDNY tweeted just before 1:30 a.m. that they had the inferno under control.
Fire trucks were lined up down Diamond Street, between Nassau and Driggs avenues, into Monday morning.
The street was like an ice skating rink early Monday from all the water used to extinguish the fire.
Two salt trucks were nearby, apparently to salt the slippery street.
