On February 19, 2011 at around 6:30 pm, that evening, a five-alarm fire response was rung out for a fire at an apartment building located in Flatbush of Brooklyn, New York at 346 East 29th Street. Nearly 200 firefighters responded to the scene to battle the blaze.
A "Defensive Mode" of fighting the fire was conducted upon arrival of NYFD fire fighting crews because conditions were just too intense on the inside the apartment building.
"Conditions changed rapidly. The fire intensified, the windows failed. Due to the heavy wind, it blew the fire in, on the members on the upper floors...a blowtorch effect. It actually chased them down the hallway," said New York City Fire Department Deputy Chief Stephen Moro.
"This was bad because of the wind," stated Fire Chief Edward Kilduff, "We had to evacuate very quickly because basically the fire chased us right down the hall and down the stairs
Strong winds fanned the flames which took 200 firefighters more than nine hours to contain.
Fire officials say 60 firefighters were treated for injuries along with 11 building residents.
A wind-whipped blaze tore like a "blow torch" through a Brooklyn apartment building, killing a retired school guidance counselor who was discovered on the top floor of apartment building several hours after the fire was extinguished. The victim, Mary Feagin, 64, was described by residents as a wonderful neighbor who had lived in the building for roughly 30 years. "She cared for everybody in the apartment, in the building. She cared for everybody in the building, for everybody's well-being. She was just a wonderful, wonderful woman," said one of the apartment tenants stated. The city medical examiner stated the cause of death is pending further testing and investigation.
A dispatching error delayed the response of a second engine company to Saturdays deadly 5 alarm fire in Brooklyn, the FDNY is launching an internal probe into the matter.
A front door to the forth-floor apartment where the fire began was left open, feed the vicious flames. The open door helped fuel the blaze causing the fire to “blowtorch” throughout the building.
Uniform Firefighters Association President Steve Cassidy says the staff cuts caused delays in getting water on the Saturday night blaze in Brooklyn.
The FDNY says that an open apartment door helped fuel the blaze, and it stoked by heavey winds.
The firefighters union said the response to the fire was hampered by new city rules that put four firefighters instead of five on some trucks.
New York City officials denied that clam.
The New York City Fire Department says the 5 alarm fire spread so quickly because someone left the door open in the apartment where it stated with strong winds fanned the flames the fatal night.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, but NYFD Deputy Chief Moro said it did not appear to be suspicious.
