BROOKLYN, N.Y. — FDNY firefighters prevented a fast-moving Brooklyn house fire from spreading through an entire row of attached homes Friday afternoon after flames tore through the upper floor and attic space of a Weirfield Street building, officials said.
The fire was reported around 1:50 p.m. Friday at 247 Weirfield Street in Brooklyn, according to the New York City Fire Department. Fire units arrived in less than four minutes and encountered heavy flames inside the attached wood-frame rowhouse structure.
Deputy Assistant Chief Timothy Keenan said the fire had already reached the top floor and extended into the attic cockloft space — an area notorious for allowing flames to rapidly spread between connected buildings.
“We successfully stopped this fire from going down the block,” Keenan said. “It was an incredible stop by the companies.”
Aggressive Roof Operations Contained Dangerous Cockloft Fire
FDNY officials credited first-arriving crews from Squad Company 252 and Ladder Company 112 with quickly stretching hose lines into the building and launching roof operations to contain the fire before it spread through neighboring homes.
Cockloft fires remain among the most dangerous scenarios for firefighters in New York City because the hidden attic spaces above attached rowhouses can allow flames to race across multiple properties before residents realize the extent of the danger.
The blaze escalated to a three-alarm fire as additional crews responded to the scene.
At the height of the operation, firefighters deployed seven handlines to contain the flames.
The fire was brought under control shortly before 3:30 p.m., nearly two hours after the initial emergency call.
Key Points
• FDNY stopped a Brooklyn rowhouse fire from spreading down a block of attached homes
• Flames spread into the attic cockloft space at 247 Weirfield Street
• Firefighters brought the three-alarm blaze under control Friday afternoon with no injuries reported
No Injuries Reported as Investigation Continues
Despite the intensity of the fire and the risk posed to nearby homes, no injuries were reported among civilians or firefighters, according to the FDNY.
The successful containment prevented what could have become a much larger block-wide fire in the densely packed neighborhood.
Officials have not released the cause of the fire, and the investigation remains ongoing.
The incident highlighted the challenges firefighters face battling fires in older attached wood-frame homes common throughout parts of Brooklyn, where flames can rapidly extend through shared attic spaces and roofs.
FDNY investigators are continuing to examine the origin and cause of the blaze.