4 hurt in Brooklyn matzo factory fire, including firefighter who suffered serious injuries
A 5-alarm fire at a Brooklyn matzo factory left four people hurt, including a New York City firefighter.
The firefighter suffered serious injuries to his hands, FDNY officials said.
The fire broke out just before 2 a.m. at 1285 36th Street in Kensington, Brooklyn.
The FDNY was on the scene within four minutes.
"Our units encountered a heavy fire in the rear of the bakery," FDNY Assistant Chief Mike Woods said.
Woods said it appears the fire broke out at the rear of the bakery.
While initially it appeared the main body of fire was knocked down and firefighters were tackling hotspots, by 7 a.m. it had flared back up, with large columns of flame visible as firefighters poured water on it. Chopper 2 was live over the scene, where thick clouds of smoke could be seen billowing into the air.
"About a half hour into the fire, there was a collapse of the rear portion, and trapped one of our members, but we were quickly able to extricate that member from the scene."
Woods said the firefighter suffered serious injuries, and was hospitalized with burns to his hands. He's said to be in stable condition.
Three civilians from a neighboring building, including a child, were also injured.
Some 175 firefighters and EMS personnel responded to the scene.