1 man dead, 1 injured in Flatbush, Brooklyn apartment fire
Officials say the cause of the fire appears to be electrical
FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (WABC) -- One man died and another was injured in a fire that tore through an apartment in Flatbush, Brooklyn.
Exclusive video shows the tense moment neighbors say a man desperately tried to alert his roommate to a fire as smoke appears to creep over the door.
The fire quickly spread through a second-floor apartment on Lenox Road in Flatbush around 10 p.m. on Wednesday, leaving a trail of damage inside, and in the hallways -- from charred walls to busted windows.
A 50-year-old man was found dead in his apartment, and a 52-year-old man was taken to SUNY Downstate Hospital with minor burns to his hands.
"It's crazy you go inside, and inside on the second floor it was all dark, the whole apartment was burned down. You go on the third floor that was attacked as well. The fire department they had to go on the third floor as well and they had to blow out all of the windows," a resident said.
Officials say the cause of the fire appears to be electrical.
Marlan Telfort told Eyewitness News that the fire spread to a third-floor apartment.
"I think two people were still in there. So, the fire department had to rescue them," Telfort said.
Residents who evacuated were eventually allowed back into their homes. Some of them say their apartments had minor smoke damage.
The Red Cross said it's assisting 15 residents, including four children.
Workers spent much of the morning cleaning up the debris.
Residents say they are still shaken up after the tragedy.
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