Flames shoot through the roofs in the back of the burning houses as FDNY firefighters work at the scene of a 6-alarm fire in the 200 block of Benzinger Ave. in New Brighton Thursday, August 18, 2016. (Staten Island Advance/ Bill Lyons)
Bill Lyons | lyons@siadvance.com
By Paul Liotta | pliotta@siadvance.com
on August 18, 2016 at 8:44 PM, updated August 18, 2016 at 11:23 PM
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A six-alarm fire ripped through New Brighton on Thursday night, injuring 12 people and destroying two houses.
The blaze began at 6:09 p.m. at 228 Benziger Ave. and quickly spread to neighboring houses, tearing through seven in all, according to the city Fire Department.
Two of the homes were in significant danger of collapse, another could collapse, two had moderate damage and two had minor damage, FDNY Chief of Department James Leonard said.
Ten firefighters suffered heat exhaustion due to the intensity of the blaze, Chief of EMS Operations James Booth said. Five of them were taken to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton to be treated.
Two residents of Winter Avenue, located behind Benziger Avenue, were also injured, one of them seriously. One had a respiratory condition and was taken to Richmond University Medical Center, Booth said. The other had a minor skeletal condition, he added.
'WE WATCHED MY HOUSE BURN DOWN'
Kasha Phillips, who lives in a third-floor apartment at 226 Benziger Ave., said her entire home was destroyed.
"My mom smelled [plastic] burning, and she knew we had to get out," Phillips said. "Five minutes later, we were outside watching my house burn down."
Leonard said the blaze was so hot, it melted siding on houses across the street from the fire.
But he added that a particularly dangerous aspect of the fire was the amount of carbon monoxide in the air from the smoke.
"One of the obstacles of this fire was the heavy, heavy smoke conditions in the street," he said.
Smoke from the fire was visible from the intersection of Targee Street and Vanderbilt Avenue. It could also reportedly be seen from as far away as Manhattan.
DIFFICULT NATURE OF THE FIRE
Approximately 250 members of the FDNY responded to the scene and more than 60 pieces of equipment were used to combat the fire, which was brought under control but still wasn't fully extinguished shortly after 9 p.m., according to the FDNY.
Tameka Wright-James said her sister, Latoya Samuels, lives at 228 Benziger Ave., where officials say the fire started.
"It's very traumatic, very surreal," Wright-James said. "You always think you'll know what to do in those situations, but then they happen."
Leonard said the close proximity of the houses contributed to the difficult nature of the fire, but that the firefighters did an "unbelievable job."
Jersey Street, which intersects Benziger, was closed for the emergency response, and NYPD Aviation assisted the FDNY in surveying the scene from above with two helicopters.
FIRE BEING INVESTIGATED
Power was shut off in the area during the fire, leaving more than 400 people without power, according to Con Edison.
Felicia Philson, who lives across the street from where the fire originated, said the fire "was blazing hot."
"When I came out of my house, I saw it -- a big, huge fire," she said. She added that she had not been allowed back into her home as of Thursday night.
Leonard said residents of the block would be able to return to their homes, but they could be without power. He said the FDNY would be on the scene for "at least a day or two."
The American Red Cross said it was assisting 42 residents displaced by the incident as of 10:24 p.m. Thursday.
Leonard also commended the residents of Benziger Avenue for their efforts during the disaster.
"I can't say enough about them. They came out with water for us; they were supportive. It was very good to see," he said.
Fire marshals are investigating the cause of the fire.
A search of city Buildings Department records shows 17 complaints at 228 Benziger Ave. dating back to 1994, including an active complaint from Aug. 1 claiming no permit for electrical wiring on the second floor of an apartment building.