Zohran Mamdani said six people died after the Sunset Park fire tore through a home in Brooklyn early Thursday morning. The three-alarm blaze broke out just before 1:40 a.m. on 58th Street, and investigators are now examining whether two lithium-ion batteries found at the scene played any role.
Four adults were pronounced dead at the scene, and two others died while being transported to the hospital. Four residents and three firefighters suffered non-life-threatening injuries, while the fire displaced eight residents.
58th Street Response
Firefighters arrived within 3 minutes and 18 seconds and brought the blaze under control after it spread from the second floor through the two-story building and into a neighboring home. A man went to Staten Island University Hospital with burns to his feet, and a woman went to Maimonides for treatment of smoke inhalation.
Zohran Mamdani appeared on a television news broadcast Thursday morning and praised the FDNY. He said, "We are currently tracking this fire that claimed the lives of six New Yorkers. It is devastating, and it is a reflection of a number of things. One, i want to always acknowledge the courage of our firefighters. who go in every single day, who go in every single day, no matter what the level of danger is, looking to save peoples lives,"
Battery Fire Concerns
He also said, "And two, the importance of fire safety in this time. We are investigating what the cause of this fire is, but I can tell you that e-bike fires as a whole have increased to more than 400 fires this year. They are something that can cause people to lose their lives as well as their livelihoods. We are really looking at every avenue we have to keep them safe."
The American Red Cross is assisting the eight displaced residents with temporary housing in hotels. The broader inquiry now turns on the second-floor origin point and whether the batteries found at the scene are part of the cause or only part of the damage left behind.
