A day after a fire tore through an apartment building in Brooklyn Heights, parts of the building are now off-limits and construction crews are working outside to secure the area.
The fire broke out just after 3:30 p.m. Monday inside a third-floor apartment at 75 Pierrepont St., between Hicks and Henry streets.
Video from the scene shows fire bursting from the building, neighbors yelling for people to call 911, and one person climbing down a fire escape to get to safety.
Seven people were hurt in the fire. Officials say two residents and one firefighter were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Several others were treated at the scene and did not go to the hospital.
Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control in about an hour. Fire marshals are still investigating the cause.
The city’s Department of Buildings inspected the property after the fire and issued a partial vacate order, meaning some apartments cannot be occupied.
Inspectors found smoke and water damage and reported that several windows were blown out in multiple apartments.
On Tuesday, News 12 crews saw workers actively building a sidewalk shed in front of the building to protect pedestrians as repairs begin.
Terri, who lives in the apartment below where the fire started, says the moments were terrifying.
“I thought I heard something fall and my neighbor I could hear her yelling and I went out and said are you OK? She’s like no. She’s at the hospital. She has some burns. She had soot all over her. She said she just turned the gas on on the stove, and it exploded,” Terri said.
The American Red Cross says it has registered five households — eight adults and one child — for emergency assistance, including temporary lodging.
Residents who cannot return home are now waiting for updates on repairs and when it will be safe to move back in.