Bronx firehouse catches fire, at least 14 firefighters injured

A fire at a Bronx firehouse left at least 14 members of the FDNY with minor injuries Friday.

All were taken to the hospital for treatment.

The fire broke out at the Engine 79 firehouse on Briggs Avenue and East 199th Street in Bedford Park around 6 a.m. 

The fire grew to three alarms, with around 160 fire and EMS personnel responding to the scene. 

"We had quite the morning. We had all our firefighters inside the building there working, and when one of the firefighters noticed there was a fire on the first floor of the building, he immediately alerted everybody in the building to give them the opportunity to get out," FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said. "They called for extra help. We had some firefighters on the second floor of the building who could not get out through the stairway. So they did exactly what we ask everybody to do, exactly what we teach, was to shelter in the front room and close the door behind them, which gave them the opportunity and bought them time for another fire unit to come and help evacuate them from the building." 

Video obtained by CBS News New York shows firefighters climbing out the window and down ladders. 

A source with the FDNY says they are looking into the possibility that an electrical issue on the engine started the fire. 

"So where the engine is parked, adjacent to that is the stairwell to the second floor. So as the fire spread to the fire truck, the fire then was extending up the stairs," FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said.

The building will be temporarily closed. It's one of the busiest firehouses in the city, and responds to about 7,000 calls each year. Bonsignore said fire operations in the area wouldn't be impacted. FDNY officials said they'd use other personnel to protect the neighborhood. 

Crews spent hours after the fire was out taking inventory and clearing out contaminated equipment. 

"It looks destroyed," resident Edward Diaz said. "I hope this whole thing can be cleared out and they can fix everything." 

Neighbor Eva Santos was woken up by an overpowering smell of smoke. 

"It was really scary, 'cause you're not expecting the fire station to be on fire," Santos said. 

Santos said she felt relieved when she saw fellow firefighters helping out on the scene. 

"When they were getting the help they needed, I didn't feel as scared," she said. 

The FDNY said a firehouse in the city hasn't caught fire in recent memory.