Big Brooklyn Fire: Rescue Operations Delayed by Cars Parked Near Hydrants

One person was killed and two were injured in a fire at a Brooklyn apartment building on Feb. 9. Parked cars blocked access to hydrants, according to ABC7.

Flames were shooting out of a four-story building on 80th Street in Bay Ridge around 3:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 9.

One student was awake. She was working on her homework and managed to sneak out with her roommate.

"There was smoke literally coming out of the floor and that's when we both thought, 'We have to get out,'" Diksha Bagade said.

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They saw a man, woman and child, who lived in the apartment below, being carried out on stretchers. The 37-year-old man did not survive.

"When we moved into this apartment, they were very nice and kind to us. Now it's sad to think about what happened to them," Bagade added.

According to firefighters, the cars were parked too close to the two nearest fire hydrants. This prevented rescuers from getting life-saving water from them. At that time, there were people in the burning building who needed help.

New York City Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker reminded residents of all five boroughs on February 9 to park 4 feet from a hydrant.

"Every second counts. When your vehicle is parked at a hydrant and a fire truck arrives, we need to get to that hydrant immediately," Tucker said.

Because the vehicles were parked near the hydrants, it took firefighters longer to reach the water.

The victim's identity has not been released. The woman and her 2-year-old child are recovering from non-life-threatening injuries.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.