Day: October 13, 2025

Firefighters rescued two of their own after the floor collapsed during a two-alarm fire at an East New York home on Friday.

The blaze broke out just after 6 p.m. at a private two-story home at 771 Williams Ave. on Oct. 10, per the FDNY. FDNY arrived on the scene within four minutes, said Assistant Chief Mike Meyers on in a statement. 

Less than 15 minutes later, with most of the fire under control, firefighters were working to extinguish flames on the first floor of the rear of the home when floor above them suddenly collapsed, trapping two firefighters beneath a large pile of debris.

Leaders immediately ordered all firefighters out of the home and issued a mayday call for members in distress. Special Operations Command companies — including two rescue companies, one with a collapse rig – rushed to the scene.

“Units operated with proficiency even though your adrenaline gets going, you want to make sure you can do everything to get own out,” Meyers told Brooklyn Paper.

The trapped firefighters were members of Battalion 58, which lost firefighter Tim Klein to a similar collapse in 2022. 

It took 10-15 minutes to rescue the trapped firefighters due to the amount of debris, Meyers said in a statement.

Three firefighters were hospitalized with injuries after the fire, per the FDNY, as was one civilian. All were in stable condition as of Friday night.

Fire marshals will investigate the cause of the fire, which was not yet clear as of Oct. 13. The Department of Buildings issued full vacate orders for 771 Williams Ave. and an attached home due to “extensive fire, water and smoke damage” and the partial collapse of the second floor, records show. 

Two households, including ten adults and one child were displaced by the blaze, according to the American Red Cross, which responded to the scene. The residents were able to secure their own temporary housing but were provided with short-term financial assistance and will be able to meet with Red Cross caseworkers to discuss their long-term needs, a representative said.