A late-night fire tore through a third-floor apartment on Kingston Avenue in East Flatbush, killing a mother and son, who neighbors say lived there for years.
What You Need To Know
Police identified the victims as Angela Griffith and her son Wayne Griffith
The FDNY says the fire started with a power strip
So far this year, the FDNY says 29 people have died in fires across the city, which is up from 24 at this time last year
“I saw two people being ushered out on the bed and they were pumping them, their chests,” a neighbor said.
Police identified the victims as Angela Griffith and her son Wayne Griffith, who neighbors say are originally from Barbados.
“It’s very sad … I stayed up all night because I couldn’t go to sleep,” neighbor Edwina Hunter said.
FDNY says it was all hands on the blaze around 11 p.m. Monday, battling flames in the building’s rear and heavy smoke inside.
“I opened my door and my hallway [was] filled with smoke. So then I realized, my God, there’s a fire,” a neighbor said.
According to the FDNY, the fire started with a power strip, and inside the apartment, clutter made it hard for the residents to get out and harder for firefighters searching in blackout conditions.
One firefighter who suffered smoke inhalation is expected to be OK, officials said.
And as the fire spread, some residents say they were never alerted, instead only realizing what was happening once smoke reached them.
“When I opened the door, and I looked down the hallway, I saw the smoke there, right? And it was smelling, and it was very strong,” neighbor Dexter Thompson said.
So far this year, the FDNY says 29 people have died in fires across the city, up from 24 at this time last year.