(Williamsburg-WABC, May 22, 2004) -- Two children and two adults die when fire sweeps through their apartment in Williamsburg. Investigators suspect it was started by kids playing with matches.
The building is on Wythe Place -- could firefighters have gotten to the scene faster if two neighborhood firehouses had not been closed?
The response time to this fire was about four minutes. That's actually less than the average city-wide response time to fires. And certainly it was enough time for firefighters to rescue a 17 year-old pregnant woman from the 6th floor windows. But critics say it could have been much better. Perhaps four people should not have died.
The fast-moving fire happened at about 8:20 p.m. Friday night. Firefighters were unable to save all the people inside.
Chief Joseph Callan, FDNY: "It started in the living room of the apartment...all but one victim were found in the bedrooms where obviously they may have gone for refuge."
Three people were rescued in the severe fire, but four others were not so lucky: a 9-year-old girl and 7 month old boy were killed along with their grandparents, Marlene and Joseph Newton -- both in their 60s.
The family was well liked in the neighborhood.
Rosalind McCrory, Victims' Neighbor: "I used to baby sit the grandson and they were just great people to talk to and be around...everything."
The community was still shaken on Saturday, especially young families who live on the 6th floor. They survived the fire, but remember their own struggle to escape it.
Aleeya Bethea, Victims' Neighbor: "It was all blurry. You couldn't even breathe. There were a lot of people in the hallway. I was crying. "
Malika Bethea, Victims' Neighbor: "When they brought the bodies out of the building, it was real scary."
And the fire also brought up the emotional debate of firehouse closings. Engine Companies 212 and 209, both within Williamburg and near the fire, were closed last year. Activists and the Fire Officers Union leveled more criticism at the city.
Peter Gorman, Uniformed Firefighters Association: "Seconds count in a fire. Let someone from the fire department tell me that seconds didn't count last night because seven people were pulled from that fire, four died and three are fighting for their lives."
Now, this very strong statement was released by the city's fire department in response.
FDNY: "Shame on union officials for suggesting the outcome could have been different in this tragedy. Their own members arrived swiftly, acted aggressively and acted heroically. But despite their best efforts, these lives could not be saved."
Now something else we want to point out to you. The very first responder this fire should have been Ladder Company 119 which is nearby. They were actually in mandatory tactical training Friday night on Riker's Island. Certainly, a difficult, controversial response to this fatal fire.
