A massive five-alarm fire tore through a Bronx, NY apartment building early Monday morning, injuring three people — including two firefighters — as crews battled flames made worse by illegally parked cars blocking key fire hydrants, officials said.
The blaze broke out around 3:15 a.m. inside a deli on Findlay Avenue in the Claremont section of the Bronx. According to the Fire Department of the City of New York, the fire quickly spread to multiple apartments above the store and partially into a neighboring building.
One civilian and two firefighters suffered minor injuries, officials confirmed.
Although fire trucks arrived at the scene in under four minutes, FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said the response was slowed by illegally parked vehicles blocking hydrants.
“We had a little bit of an ice condition, but the biggest issue was those blocked fire hydrants,” Esposito said. “We had three cars parked on three different hydrants. Our firefighters are very good, but it does delay us.”
The vehicles were ticketed and towed, the department said.
More than 250 firefighters and emergency responders were called in to battle the inferno, which took roughly four hours to bring under control.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani praised first responders for preventing further tragedy.
“Early this morning, a five-alarm fire broke out on Findlay Avenue in Claremont,” Mamdani wrote on X. “Three people, including two firefighters, were injured, but thanks to the over 250 first responders who rushed to the scene, the building was evacuated without loss of life.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Residents displaced by the blaze were directed to a reception center at the William Howard Taft school building, where the American Red Cross is assisting families affected by the fire.
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