CHARLESTON, Staten Island (WABC) — Three firefighters were injured, and more than a dozen residents were displaced after a fast-moving fire spread through several homes in Staten Island Saturday night.
The FDNY said the fire started just before 10 p.m. on the first floor of a two-story building at 80 Pitney Avenue and spread quickly to neighboring houses.
It took crews four minutes to get to the scene and nearly 140 firefighters to control the fire.
The fire chief says three of those firefighters were hurt. Fortunately, they suffered minor injuries.
ALSO READ | Yacht sinks after catching on fire in Hudson River
None of the residents were hurt, but 15 people were displaced. They are receiving help from the American Red Cross.
“It could have been a lot worse, the buildings in the rear, there are four buildings in the rear where the siding is melted and a building on the left side of the original fire building where the siding is also melted,” FDNY Chief Kevin Woods said.
One resident was picking up a pizza from a delivery driver. They were outside when the fire broke out and stepped in to help.
“Came out to the far right and saw what looked like an out-of-control bonfire,” Mark Keane said.
As the sun rose, loved ones and neighbors of those impacted by the fire stood in awe of the damage.
“I told them that their house was on fire. My sister was devastated, and my brother is law is devastated,” said Aggie Catalino, a relative of one of the homeowners.
For Catalino, her sister’s house was destroyed. She left on vacation this weekend and they’re trying to pick up what’s left of their house.
“It’s all wet. A lot of things are hanging. It’s destroyed. A lot of things are destroyed,” Catalino said.
The fire was placed under control just before midnight.
The cause of the fire still remains under investigation.
———-
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Copyright © 2022 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.
