FDNY: Investigation Underway After Suspicious Fire Impacts Several Homes In Bushwick
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Several families no longer have a home following a fire early Monday morning in Brooklyn.
Investigators said the circumstances of that blaze are suspicious, CBS2's Nick Caloway reported.
Relatives are picking up the pieces after flames devastated the family's home.
"Seemed like an explosion," resident George Davis said.
Davis lives in the home that was destroyed. He said he was watching TV when someone told him the house was burning.
"Building was on fire, and I ran out," Davis said.
By 1 a.m., flames had engulfed the top floor of the house on Cooper Street in Bushwick. The fire quickly spread to three neighboring homes, and smoke seeped into even more houses. Neighbors told Caloway they woke up to smoke and got out quick.
"Huge orange flames coming out of the top windows. And then after it went on to the building, kind of on the side, on the roof," said neighbor Charlotte Sauvagnat. "But just huge clouds of black smoke coming out."
"The ventilation system is connected between all of them, so it was smoke within 10 minutes and we just ran out immediately," neighbor Sevin Delfs said.
The Red Cross said four families were displaced by the fire.
As the Davis family assessed the damage Monday, the memories were flooding back.
"I'm thinking about everybody that was here -- my aunt, my mom, my grandmother, everybody that was raised here," grandson Dave Davis said.
Dave Davis said it's hard to see his grandfather's house in such bad shape, but added the family will rebuild.
"Just to see this like this right now, yeah. I'm glad everybody is okay, though. That's the most important part," he said.
The FDNY said the fire appears to be suspicious. The fire marshal will investigate to determine if arson was committed.