4 hospitalized, including 2 firefighters, after fire at Buffalo residence

Four people were hospitalized, including two firefighters, after a Saturday morning fire at a residence on Jewett Avenue, Buffalo Fire officials announced. Officials said the blaze began around 4 a.m. on the first floor of 294 Jewett Ave., which was occupied at the time. One resident was able to make it out safely, while another was rescued by firefighters from the porch roof. Both residents were transported to ECMC to be treated for smoke inhalation and other injuries. The two firefighters were also taken to ECMC for treatment, according to officials. Officials said the fire caused an estimated $300,000 in damage to the residence, and the Red Cross is assisting four adults. The blaze’s cause remains under investigation.
WIVB-TV CBS 4 Buffalo

FDNY premieres new film about Robert O. Lowery, the Department’s first Black Fire Commissioner

In a packed space on the third floor of the New York City Fire Museum, the FDNY held a film premiere Friday for “The First: Fire Commissioner Robert O. Lowery’s Story.” The film, presented by the FDNY Foundation and the FDNY Pro Film Board, depicts the life and career of Commissioner Lowery, the FDNY’s first Black Fire Commissioner, and features interviews with the Lowery family, Mayor Eric Adams, FDNY officials and the Vulcan Society. “Commissioner Lowery was a pioneer for our Department,” Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said at the premiere. “He identified problems back then that we still face today — in fire investigation, in operations, in communication and technology, and in balancing budgets. He was a forward-thinking leader who created solutions for these issues and, perhaps even more incredibly, he did so during a time in our city’s history that was remarkable in its volume of fire duty and in its racial strife.”
City of New York Fire Department

Fire breaks out at apartment building in Manhattan

VIDEO: A fire broke out at an apartment building in East Harlem early Saturday morning. Firefighters received a call just after 5 a.m. about the apartment fire at East 119th Street and Third Avenue. Citizen App video shows the blaze tearing through the building. According to the FDNY, the fire started on the second floor of a five-story building. It took about an hour for first responders to get the fire under control. There are currently no reported injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
WABC-TV ABC 7 New York

Utility worker electrocuted in Berne

A utility worker was electrocuted while working on a utility pole in Berne early Friday morning. The Albany County Sheriff’s Office says the worker died on the scene, and their name has not been released at this time. Around 2:41 a.m., deputies, Albany EMS, and the East Berne Fire Department responded to Long Road in Berne for a car fire. Upon arrival, a cable bucket truck was in the roadway on fire. Albany County Sheriff’s deputies say an investigation found a cable worker was conducting routine maintenance on a utility pole, and while in the basket of the bucket truck, came in contact with an electric line. Deputies say when the worker touched the line, they were electrocuted and an explosion occurred. The worker was pronounced dead at the scene.
WTEN-TV ABC 10 Albany

Good Samaritan saves children from fire in Aurora

A pair of children were saved by a good Samaritan from a fire at a residence in Aurora on Wednesday, according to police. Crews responded to the home, located on Olean Road, around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Two children, an 11-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl, were in a garage area where the fire started. The person saw the fire and helped, and everyone was out of the house by the time crews arrived. The older child was able to escape, but the younger was not able to immediately escape before she was rescued by a 51-year-old man, who went inside the burning building. It is unclear if there were any adults in the home at the time of the blaze. The children were taken to Oishei Children’s Hospital to be treated for burns and smoke inhalation.
WIVB-TV CBS 4 Buffalo

Apartment in Brooklyn briefly evacuated after propane tank with wires found inside

One person was taken into custody after reports of a fire at a building in Brooklyn. The FDNY responded to 1420 Avenue L in Midwood just before 2 p.m. Authorities say they found a propane tank with wires inside the building. The FDNY then requested the NYPD, who responded to the scene and evacuated the building. Police determined those items to be non-hazardous, but one man was taken into custody. Residents who live in the building say they were shocked and confused. "I would say I'm horrified," said tenant William Murillo. "Neighbors are angry, they're angry, just crazy." When resident Michal Halbertal was told to evacuate her apartment, her first thought went to her 6-week-old son, Nathaniel.
WABC-TV ABC 7 New York