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2 dead in separate residential fires in Bronx, Brooklyn: FDNY
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Dec 28, 2022
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By
Catalina Gonella
Published Dec 28, 2022
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Investigations are underway after two fatal fires in different boroughs broke out within 10 minutes of each other late Tuesday night.
In the Bronx, one person died and two were injured after a fire on the second floor of an apartment building at 3540 Rochambeau Ave. at around 10:20 p.m, police said. According to a Department of Buildings report, the fire engulfed an entire apartment in the building, but did not spread to other apartments in the building.
Milton Barnes, 76, was found unconscious inside the apartment where the fire started, and pronounced dead at the scene. Two others who were injured were transported to area hospitals.
The response by the FDNY in the Bronx included around 60 firefighters and EMS, and the fire was under control within 20 minutes.
A vacate order was issued for the affected apartment, as well as two adjacent units, and all displaced residents were offered emergency relocation assistance from the American Red Cross.
In Brooklyn, another residential blaze broke out just 10 minutes before at 256 Rochester Ave. There, another 60 firefighters and EMS responded to the fire, and had it under control within an hour.
Upon extinguishing the fire, responders found a 54-year-old woman unresponsive and unconscious. She was transported to Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Her name has not yet been released.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined by the NYC Fire Marshal in either of the fires. The Medical Examiner will determine the exact cause of death in both fatalities, and the investigations remain ongoing.
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Catalina Gonella
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