A five-alarm fire overtook the adjoining residency building of a Catholic church in Brooklyn on Easter Sunday, the FDNY said.
The fire – which occurred during Easter Sunday services at Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii at 225 Seigel St., in East Williamsburg – began around 1:47 p.m., according to the NYPD. About 150 parishioners were present in the building when the smell of smoke forced them to evacuate, FDNY officials said.
At least six people – including three firefighters and three civilians – received minor, non-life threatening injuries, and were being evaluated by emergency medical services, FDNY officials said. Some of the injured were treated at the scene, authorities said.
Fire officials described a harrowing scene. The large fire spread rapidly through the first floor of the rectory and into both the second floor and the attic space, the FDNY said. The chaotic blaze even led one firefighter to sustain injuries after falling from the second floor of the building, authorities said.
Firefighters attempted to extinguish the fire with hose lines before resorting to tower lines due to the severity of the blaze, officials said.
“We are just so very fortunate on Easter Sunday that there were no serious injuries,” FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Joseph Pataky said. “We are grateful to our firefighters who were able to put out a very difficult fire.”
Three firefighters and two civilians were injured in the Easter Sunday fire.
Fire responders said they had the flames under control by Sunday evening. The cause of the fire remained under investigation, officials said.
The city’s emergency management system warned people near Siegel Street and McKibbin Court to avoid smoke and close their windows.
Those with heart and lung conditions were being instructed to seek medical attention if they start to experience chest pains or shortness of breath.
The church did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
