Bronx

NYC Inferno Tears Through 4 Buildings, Collapsing One: FDNY

Nearly 140 fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene; one firefighter and oen civilian suffered minor injuries

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Four buildings were heavily damaged and one collapsed when a raging fire erupted in the Bronx early Wednesday, authorities say.

The fire erupted at a four-story building on East 143rd Street at Willis Avenue in Mott Haven around 2:45 a.m. and quickly escalated to three alarms as it spread to adjacent buildings.

Nearly 140 fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene, officials said. One firefighter and a civilian suffered minor injuries.

The fire caused the collapse of the main building and the partial collapses on both sides of the main building.

Red Cross rushed to the scene to assist neighbors fleeing their homes in fear that they would also catch on fire.

Just 87 months ago, the FDNY responded to the same location for an electrical fire, which was still under investigation at the time of Wednesday's fire.

Vacate orders were issued for all four affected buildings, which were the site of a separate fire in October 2021.

"There was a vacate order on the building, and we aren't sure if whether some construction work to fix the building up was or was not being done at this point," FDNY Assistant Chief Kevin Brennan said.

An investigation into the cause of the blaze is ongoing.

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