NEW YORK — A five-alarm fire destroyed a Brooklyn matzo factory and injured four people, including a firefighter.
The blaze broke out just before 2 a.m. on Dec. 17 near 36th Street and 13th Avenue in the Kensington neighborhood. Officials said the fire started near the bakery ovens and spread quickly, igniting stacked boxes of matzo and the product inside, WABC reported.
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FDNY Assistant Chief Mike Woods said firefighters encountered heavy fire conditions in the rear of the bakery.
Firefighters worked through heavy smoke to reach the roof of the bakery, and a firefighter was briefly trapped after a rear wall partially collapsed.
“There was a collapse of the rear portion. It trapped one of our members, but we were quickly able to extricate that member from the scene,” Woods said. “He did suffer some serious injuries, and he went to a local hospital with burns to his hands and also some potential respiratory burns. Last report is that member is now stable.”
Officials said three civilians, including a 2-year-old, were treated for smoke inhalation, and firefighters battled the five-alarm blaze for nearly nine hours.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
