23 firefighters, 11 civilians hurt in 5-alarm blaze in NYC home
A five-alarm blaze ripped through a New York City home and left 34 people injured, including 23 firefighters, as rescue crews spent eight hours battling a blaze early Thursday.
One person remained in critical condition and 33 others were treated for injuries that ranged from minor to serious after the fire erupted inside a wood-frame home on Chestnut Street in Staten Island about 1 a.m., New York City Fire Department spokesman Brian Norton said.
The blaze quickly spread through the building, and more than 200 firefighters were called to the scene, Norton said in an interview. The fire was not brought under control until nearly 9 a.m.
Investigators have not determined a cause in the fast-moving fire, but Norton said the top floor of the building was destroyed and the structure will probably be demolished.
The person who remains in critical condition was a civilian who may have gone into cardiac arrest, Norton said. Ten other civlians, most of whom lived in the multi-family dwelling, sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Most of the firefighters suffered injuries that included heat exhaustion, smoke inhalation and lacerations, according to Norton.
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