Four-Alarm Fire Injures Five Firefighters and Displaces Bronx Families

A major four-alarm fire damaged two homes in the Fordham section of the Bronx on Thursday morning, leaving five firefighters injured and more than a dozen residents displaced. The fire began shortly before 8 a.m. in the basement of a home on Briggs Avenue before spreading to the neighboring property. When firefighters arrived, flames had already extended through multiple floors of both buildings. More than 200 firefighters and emergency medical workers responded to the scene. Crews brought the fire under control in approximately 90 minutes despite difficult conditions inside the buildings and extreme summer heat. Five firefighters were injured during the response. News 12 reported that two were seriously hurt, while others were treated for heat exposure and additional injuries. Several firefighters were seen leaving the scene on stretchers and wearing oxygen masks. FDNY officials said the narrow wooden staircase inside the original home and the combustible materials on the closely spaced buildings allowed intense heat and flames to spread quickly. Firefighters worked to prevent the blaze from extending to additional neighboring homes. Both damaged properties received full vacate orders from the New York City Department of Buildings. The American Red Cross registered more than a dozen residents for emergency assistance and temporary housing. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and investigators continue working to establish how it began.