Overview
- Fire crews arrived shortly after 7 p.m. near 955 Westchester Avenue to find trash and multiple vehicles burning before a sudden explosion sent a large fireball into the air.
- Seven firefighters were injured, five with burns to their hands and faces, and three were initially admitted to Jacobi Medical Center; officials say all are expected to recover, with two still hospitalized as of Thursday.
- FDNY fire marshals and the Bureau of Fire Investigation are reviewing surveillance footage as they probe the sequence of ignition and escalation, with no civilian injuries reported.
- Neighbors and investigators cited piled trash and windy conditions as factors that let flames climb into parked vehicles; road closures and scene processing continued as damaged vehicles were removed.
- The blaze was brought under control at about 8:19 p.m., and widely shared bystander and building surveillance videos captured the moment the vehicle exploded.