By SÍLE MOLONEY

FIREFIGHTER LAURIE GALIOTO from Ladder Company 37 is discharged on Thursday, April 2, 2026 from Jacobi Medical Center in Morris Park and greeted by his co-workers after he was injured and hospitalized during a fire at the Company’s Bedford Park firehouse on Briggs Avenue on Thursday, March 26, 2026. 
Photo courtesy of the FDNY

Following the fire that broke out at the Bedford Park firehouse for Engine 79/Latter 37 on Briggs Avenue on Thursday, March 26, in which 14 firefighters were injured, on Thursday, April 2, one of the injured firefighters, Laurie Galioto, from Ladder Company 37 was discharged from Jacobi Medical Center in Morris Park and was greeted on his release by his co-workers and fire unit.

 

Other FDNY members, family and friends also turned out to show their support, while the cause of the 3-alarm blaze is still under investigation. Read the full story here.

 

Also, on Thursday, April 2, the FDNY reported no injuries following an e-bike fire outside 2316 University Avenue in the University Heights section of The Bronx. Meanwhile, a car ignited in a Norwood parking lot on Saturday, March 28, but resulted in no injuries. It was not the first such fire in a parking lot.

 

On Thursday, March 26, one person died and nine people were injured following a fire in the Belmont section of The Bronx.

FIREFIGHTER LAURIE GALIOTO from Ladder Company 37 is discharged Thursday, April 2, 2026, from Jacobi Medical Center in Morris Park and greeted by his co-workers after he was injured and hospitalized during a fire at the Company’s Bedford Park firehouse on Briggs Avenue on Thursday, March 26, 2026. 
Photo courtesy of the FDNY

There were no injuries reported following a separate residential fire in the Kingsbridge Heights section of The Bronx that also broke out in the early hours of Thursday, March 26, FDNY officials said.

 

On Tuesday, March 17 [St. Patrick’s Day], thirteen people were reported injured following an afternoon residential fire in the Kingsbridge section of The Bronx in a six-building complex which houses around seven daycare centers.

 

That incident followed another large fire, as reported, where several small businesses were damaged on East Gun Hill Road in the Laconia section of the East Bronx on March 6. The latest fires have prompted Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson and the FDNY to launch a further series of fire education and safety workshops across the borough.

 

On March 18, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson announced that, in conjunction with the FDNY, in response to the high number of fires experienced across the borough in recent times, fire education and safety workshops would be rolled out across the borough in the weeks ahead. “We hope that you will find the time to attend one of these important workshops for you and your family,” she said.

 

“From smoke alarm demonstrations, to common causes of fires, our community is learning emergency preparedness tips on how to stay safe and ready in any situation,” she added.

FIREFIGHTER LAURIE GALIOTO from Ladder Company 37 is discharged Thursday, April 2, 2026, from Jacobi Medical Center in Morris Park and greeted by his co-workers after he was injured and hospitalized during a fire at the Company’s Bedford Park firehouse on Briggs Avenue on Thursday, March 26, 2026. 
Photo courtesy of the FDNY

As reported, two injuries were reported following a recent residential fire in the Norwood section of the Bronx on Decatur Avenue on March 13.

 

Click here to read FDNY’s fire safety tips. “During a fire, always close the door behind you!” fire officials say. “It helps contain smoke and flames, giving you precious time to escape.”