An ailing elderly couple and their Down syndrome son were in critical condition last night after an arson fire raced through their Brooklyn building, officials and family members said.
Five others - including three firefighters - were injured in the early morning blaze that gutted the three-story brick building at 407 Wilson Ave., which had been doused from "roof to building entrance with a gasoline concentration," an investigator told The Post.
The two-alarm blaze, which began at about 12:30 a.m., was so fierce it consumed the inside of the building in a matter of minutes, the investigator said.
Ruben Torres, 78, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease; his wife, Natividad, 70, who has Parkinson's disease; and their 28-year-old son Gilbert, who has Down syndrome, were found unconscious in their bedrooms on the top floor, fire officials said.
All three were rushed to Cornell Burn Center, where they are listed in critical condition, according to the couple's daughter Rosa Torres, 48, who lives in East New York.
Before Ruben Torres was felled by the smoke, he was able to raise enough ruckus to warn his neighbors to escape, one of them said.
Ten people - including two babies - in a second-floor apartment were able to flee the building through a side window leading to the rooftop of a neighboring building.
"We heard Ruben screaming, 'Close your doors. Fire. Fire.' Then we smelled smoke. I opened the door a little and the smoke just started coming in," said Tiffany Rodrigues, 19.
"So we closed it fast. We couldn't run upstairs [to help them]. The fire was all right there in the hallway. Everybody was hysterical. It was a nightmare," Rodrigues said.
Two firefighters were treated at Wyckoff Heights Hospital for minor injuries; a third was treated at the scene.
