New Year's Eve fire in East New York destroys apartments
NEW YORK - New Year's Eve left 80 people looking for somewhere else to sleep after a large fire at their apartment building in Brooklyn.
Just after 7 p.m. Sunday, as people celebrated the year's end, everyone inside 893 Schenck Ave. was suddenly forced to flee. Flames flew across the face of the building, igniting every apartment they touched.
Seven people suffered smoke inhalation, including two firefighters and two children, but all survived.
Firefighters made fresh rounds Monday to check on the charred apartments and continued their search outside for evidence of ignition among the piles of materials previously in place for renovations.
Neighbors report seeing someone setting off fireworks across the courtyard.
"I don't think it was kids," said Luis Torres from his apartments, the windows of which exploded from the heat. "I think it was a young adult and a young lady. That's what the silhouette looks like."
Torres told his new District 42 City Council member Chris Banks how the fire swiftly spread through the stacks outside.
"It was real easy," Torres said, pointing to the area below his windows. "The HVAC system, they were just put in a few months ago."
In just his first week on the job, Banks said he wants to help find answers.
"Their lives have already been disrupted with the construction," Banks pointed out. "Some of them have been living out of boxes for the past couple of months."
Now it will be much longer before they can feel at home once more.
The official cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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