FDNY: 3 children among the critically injured in Midwood, Brooklyn apartment building fire
NEW YORK -- Neighbors in Midwood, Brooklyn are praying for a mother and her three children who were rescued from a fire on Sunday.
The FDNY says all four were unconscious when they were found in their smoke-filled apartment.
Children's shoes line the door of the sixth-floor apartment, where the FDNY says clutter made it difficult to put out the fire.
"Our neighbor said this apartment is hot door and they help to call super," neighbor Olga Dubroska said.
Just after 9:30 a.m., there were tense moments as firefighters carried a mother through the fire escape out of her burning apartment on East 17th Street between avenues M and N. She was taken inside the apartment below.
"They drop body to her apartment. They take out windows and drop body to her apartment," neighbor Andre Filippov said.
Other first responders ran down the stairs holding her three children -- two sons and a daughter.
"One of the kids I saw was brought in one in fireman's hands," neighbor Mike Niculescu said. "It's heart wrenching."
"I heard a noise. I looked outside and nothing was happening. Then within minutes, there was a fire. Fire engines came, and there was smoke coming out through the front windows and the back windows," neighbor Chaya Horn said. "They brought a little boy down. He wasn't breathing. My heart goes out to him. They were doing CPR on him and they took him straight into the ambulance."
The FDNY said all four were in critical condition when taken to area hospitals with smoke-related injuries.
Neighbors said the three siblings live there with their mother.
The fire did not appear to spread to other units, but water damage did impact the apartment below.
"I praise the firemen," Niculescu said.
The damage is pretty extensive, even in the hallway. The Red Cross said it is helping at least two people with emergency housing.
The fire marshal is investigating the cause.
The mother was taken to Brooklyn Community Hospital. A representative said she is in critical condition.