NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – The FDNY rescued an infant and another resident who were critically injured in a Brooklyn high-rise fire on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
The FDNY responded to a fire at 417 Morgan Avenue, within the Cooper Park Houses NYCHA complex, that began around 12:38 p.m. on Sunday.
The blaze was located on the fifth floor of an eight-story building, and at least one hundred firefighters responded to the scene, the FDNY said.
Video of the fire response shows black smoke coming out of a building window, fire officials pulling out hose lines and a firefighter accessing the fire area by climbing the firetruck ladder.
The FDNY was able to get the fire under control by 1:15 p.m.
Two victims, including the baby, were transported to Cornell Burn Center in critical condition with severe burns. A third victim refused medical attention at the scene, the FDNY said.
In addition to serious burns, the child was suffering from smoke inhalation.
Deputy Chief Steve Corran said that the infant was trapped behind a window gate, and witnesses said that family members were holding the child at the window through heavy smoke when fire officials arrived, AMNY reported.
Fire marshals are investigating the cause of the fire, but a lithium-ion battery was found on the scene.
As of Dec. 5, lithium-ion battery fires resulted in 18 deaths and 133 injuries in 2023. In the same time frame, the amount of lithium-ion battery fires jumped to 253 in 2023 from 30 in 2019.
This prompted the establishment of the city’s lithium-ion battery charging pilot program to give delivery drivers a safe way to charge their bikes, which is expected to launch early next year.
Officials from the FDNY, federal agencies and national organizations joined forces in November to raise awareness about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries in a new campaign called “Take Charge of Battery Safety”.
The FDNY has information on how to use devices with lithium-ion batteries safely on the FDNY Foundation website.