Massive fire engulfs NYC supermarket, spreads to 4 buildings, injuring 7 and displacing 30 residents
A significant fire ripped through a Brooklyn supermarket on Wednesday evening, injuring seven people and displacing around 30 residents as it rapidly spread to four nearby apartment buildings.
The fire started shortly before 6 p.m. inside Christa’s Kitchen & Market on Bushwick Avenue in Bushwick and escalated to at least a five-alarm fire with more than 250 firefighters responding, as stated by FDNY officials at the scene.
The seven injured individuals all sustained minor injuries and included six firefighters — five of whom were taken to local hospitals — and a civilian being treated for smoke inhalation at the scene.
"This fire impacted this community, not only the supermarket that they use but the residents of this community in four different buildings," FDNY First Deputy Commissioner Joseph Pfeifer told reporters at the scene. "And our hearts go out to those residents."
The flames — described as "a very significant amount of fire" by FDNY officials — originated in the food store and quickly spread to two adjacent buildings on its left and at least two buildings behind it on Cooper Street.
Despite the first firefighters arriving within three minutes of the 911 call, the connected older wooden structures ignited swiftly.
"We were really trying to get ahead of this," Assistant Chief Thomas Currao said. "It’s really one of the challenges in wood-frame construction."
As officials spoke, fire engines continued to spray water at the charred storefront behind them.
"We will be on the scene for quite a while," Currao added. "We’ll have a watch line in place to ensure this fire is fully extinguished."
Red Cross personnel also responded and aided the 30 displaced residents by providing blankets and water bottles.
"We mustered everyone together we could muster arranging for buses to take them to a reception center where we’ll do intake on our clients and find them a place to stay," Red Cross staffer Eric Declercq said.
One displaced resident named Mark was left speechless as the fire ravaged his home.
"My house is on fire, sizzling," he told The Post. "What do you want me to say?"
Another resident named Kat mentioned her grandmother lived in one of the burned buildings but was fortunately not home when the fire broke out.
"We came to see the damage. The damage was done," she said.
Smoke darkened the sky and was visible for about a mile. Some residents who gathered near the scene to see what was happening said they noticed it during their commutes home.
"Never seen anything like this," said a 22-year-old restaurant server named Will, who observed the flames from the above-ground J train.
The cause of the fire remains unclear. Fire marshals will conduct an investigation into its origin.
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