Body found in Brooklyn apartment just before fire breaks out, FDNY says

A fire broke out at a Brooklyn apartment building as police officers were investigating calls for a possible dead body. 

NYPD officers were at a building in Bay Ridge early Monday after a man on the sixth floor died of natural causes, according to police sources. One tenant said an officer got inside through a window and found the body.   

While police were waiting for the medical examiner, a fire broke out inside the apartment just before 1 a.m.

Flames were seen shooting out of a window as nearly 80 firefighters and EMS personnel responded to the scene.

Neighbors said they noticed a strong smell coming from the unit and called law enforcement. 

"Saturday, I noticed the smell was stronger, and I put my nose to the edge of the door and said, 'Wow,'" one man said. 

Residents believe the man who died was in his 70s. Police sources said his death isn't connected to the fire.

No injuries were reported from the fire. 

Neighbors said water from the FDNY's cannons seeped into other units, causing significant damage. Some residents have been relocated, and others were able to go back to their units.