A firefighter was killed and five other firefighters were injured after the ceiling collapsed in a fire at a home in Brooklyn on Sunday, a fire official said.
The dead firefighter, 31-year-old Timothy Klein, has worked for the fire department for six years, Mayor Eric Adams told a news conference at Brookdale Hospital on Sunday night.
Mr Klein died when the second floor of the house was engulfed in flames and the ceiling partially collapsed, fire officials said.
“It brings us great pain and sorrow to announce that New York has lost one of its bravest, Timothy Klein,” Mr Adams told a news conference at Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn.
Mr Adams said the injuries to the five firefighters were not considered life-threatening. Authorities also searched for a man who remained unaccounted for at the scene.
Firefighters said they were called to 10826 Avenue N in Canarsie around 1:40 p.m. and found a private home with a sharp roof on fire. By 2:15 p.m., the fire had reached a third alarm, attracting more than 100 firefighters to fight the blaze.
Timothy KlineCredit … New York Fire Department
Mr Klein’s father was a firefighter and there were other relatives who worked for the fire brigade, Mr Adams said, adding that Mr Klein spoke at the funeral of another firefighter, Stephen H. Pollard, in 2019. .
Mr Klein was on the second floor of the house with three other firefighters on Sunday when the floor was engulfed in flames, fire officials said. The other firefighters escaped by jumping out of windows or down stairs, but Mr. Klein was unable to get out. Other firefighters worked to reach him, but failed to reach him in time, fire officials said.
Laura Cavanagh, acting city fire commissioner, mourned his death at a press conference with the mayor.
“I can’t describe FDNY’s broken heart today from losing a member who does what our members do best – putting their lives at stake to save others,” she said.
Firefighter Jesse Gerhard died earlier this year, a day after reacting to a fire in Queens. He suffered a medical incident in his fire department after helping evacuate a three-story home that was engulfed in flames.
In January, the largest fire in New York in three decades killed 17 people in the Bronx, including eight children. The fire was caused by a heater and quickly filled the 19-storey building with smoke.
Add Comment