Overview
- FDNY crews arrived shortly after 7 p.m. to burning trash and parked cars at 955 Westchester Avenue in Longwood when a sudden blast sent a fireball into the sky.
- Seven firefighters were injured, including five with burns to their hands and faces, and three were admitted to Jacobi Medical Center with serious but non-life-threatening burns.
- All injured firefighters were awake and expected to recover, officials said, and no civilian injuries were reported.
- Fire marshals and the Bureau of Fire Investigation are reviewing surveillance that appears to show careless disposal of smoking material igniting trash that spread to vehicles, with sources saying investigators are no longer focused on arson.
- The blaze was brought under control at about 8:19 p.m., and authorities warned of traffic closures and delays around Fox Street and Westchester Avenue during the response and investigation.