CANARSI, Brooklyn (WABC) – Flags in New York will be unfurled for half the staff as the funeral of a FDNY firefighter who was killed in the line of duty on Sunday in Brooklyn.
The ceiling collapsed as firefighters battled a third fire in Canary Islands, killing 31-year-old firefighter Timothy Klein and sending other firefighters to safety.
The remains of another person were found in the structure devastated by the fire.
Klein, a six-year veteran, was trapped in the crash shortly after the 108-26 Avenue N home caught fire around 1:40 p.m. Sunday.
Klein was on the second floor with three other firefighters when the floor was engulfed in flames, causing it to collapse. The other firefighters jumped to safety in the windows or down the stairs, but Klein was trapped.
“The commander of the incident identified deteriorating conditions and ordered all members to leave the building,” said FDNY acting commissioner Laura Cavanagh at Brookdale University Hospital, where Klein was pronounced dead. “While they were doing it, there was a partial collapse of the ceiling. Four members were caught in the crash. Three have escaped and are now stable in local hospitals.
The fire also claimed another victim, whose remains were found Sunday night.
A police dog detected human remains in the rubble, and although the building was unstable, firefighters were able to remove the body.
The body is believed to be a 21-year-old man with autism who is unaware of the blaze and has been reported missing by relatives. The medical examiner will make a positive identification.
WATCH: Mayor Adams, FDNY staff conduct update at Brookdale Hospital
The structural remains of the destroyed two-storey house are expected to be demolished later on Monday.
The cause of the fire is being clarified.
Mayor Adams said the injuries of five other firefighters were not considered life-threatening.
Klein is the second FDNY firefighter to die this year.
Jesse Gerhard, 33, died on Feb. 16 when he collapsed at his fire station just a day after battling a house fire in Far Rockaway, Queens.
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