NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — An unhoused woman was found dead after a fire burned through the vacant Brooklyn building where she was squatting on Tuesday morning, the FDNY said.
The fatal 3-alarm fire at 1237 67th St., located between 12th and 13th avenues in Dyker Heights, broke out just after 8 a.m., officials said.
“Upon arrival units found a heavy body of fire in a sealed building,” FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief David Simms said. “There was a delay in getting water on the fire due to the fact that the building was cinderblocked off.”
After conducting searches, firefighters discovered a woman, approximately 40-years-old, dead in the alleyway.
According to Simms, the woman had built a “shanty” in the basement entrance, where she was squatting illegally. An entranceway was knocked into the cinderblock to allow her access to the building.
The damaged building has experienced five previous fires in the past two years, according to the FDNY. Officials said that the building is unstable, but its fate is up to the city’s Department of Buildings.
Fire marshals will determine the cause of the fire.