FDNY: 3 children in critical condition following fire at Brownsville apartment building, father arrested
NEW YORK -- Firefighters said they found three young children unconscious as a fired raged inside a Brooklyn apartment building on Sunday morning.
The FDNY said the blaze broke out on the 11th floor of the high rise in Brownsville just after 11 a.m.
"We saw the flames and we saw the smoke. It was a lot of smoke," witness Audrey Ray said.
What fire crews found inside that apartment on Livonia Avenue was heartbreaking.
"The three children were inside. It was pretty heavy fire condition inside, so our members had to force the door open, crawl in. They found two of the children in the living room and one they found right behind the door," the FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens said.
Ray said she saw the kids, who officials confirmed are just 8, 5 and 4 years old, being carried out.
"I saw one child after another being pulled out by the firemen and their limp bodies," Ray said.
She said her heart sank.
"We were all crying. Everybody who was out here was crying," Ray said.
Officials said those three vulnerable children were left home alone. Anthony Halliburton, 39, the father of two of the children, is facing three counts each of abandonment of a child and endangering the welfare of a child.
"It's very sad. People should not leave their kids by themselves, not even for a minute," one person said.
READ MORE: 10 firefighters injured battling 5-alarm blaze that impacted 9 businesses in Williamsburg, FDNY says
Mayor Eric Adams came to see the destruction, himself, and showed pictures from inside the charred apartment. Fire officials said the smoke detectors weren't working. CBS New York reached out to NYCHA, which referred us back to the FDNY, which called it an active investigation. However, Ray said more fire precautions are needed in the building.
"We have smoke alarms, but sometimes they don't always work, so I think maybe they should look into having other precautions," Ray said.
Officials said the three children are fighting for their lives. Each is in critical condition. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
