Last updated 6 November 2026 at 03:30 PKT. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by New York City fire marshals.
Six people were killed and nine others injured when a fast-moving fire tore through a two-storey home in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighbourhood early on Thursday, 5 November, New York City's fire department said. All six of those killed were adults, and the nine injured — four residents, three firefighters and two police officers — were expected to survive.
More than 200 first responders were sent to the row house on 58th Street after the fire was reported just before 2 a.m. local time. When the first crews arrived within minutes, the blaze was already burning on every floor, with flames coming from every window. Firefighters rescued four people from the building, including two who had been trapped behind window bars. The fire, which also damaged an adjoining home, was brought under control in about three hours.
"This was a devastating fire," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a news conference near the scene. "It will take a long time for this neighborhood to mourn the neighbours they lost this morning and to recover from this immense grief."
What happened
The fire broke out in a two-unit row house in Sunset Park, a residential neighbourhood in south-west Brooklyn. According to the Associated Press, which cited the city's fire department, the blaze was reported just before 2 a.m. and crews arrived within four minutes to find heavy fire in the basement and on both floors.
"Upon arrival, we had fire on every floor," Kevin Woods, the department's chief of fire operations, said at the news conference. "Fire blowing out every window, meeting us at the front door."
The fire department sent 74 units and 231 fire and emergency medical personnel to the address, according to the New York Post, and more than 200 first responders were on the scene in total. The blaze was declared a three-alarm fire, a designation that brings a large response of engines, ladders and rescue units.
Firefighters got four people out of the building, entering through a rear entrance to reach two people who were trapped behind window bars, Woods said. Four residents were pronounced dead at the scene and two others died after being taken to hospital, the city's first deputy police commissioner, Daniel Flynn, said. All six victims were adults, according to the mayor, and their names had not been released by Thursday morning.
The fire was brought under control just before 4:30 a.m., Mamdani said, about three hours after it was first reported. Eight people from nearby buildings were displaced and were rehoused in local hotels.
The victims and the injured
Six adults died in the fire. Four were pronounced dead at the scene and two died in hospital, according to city officials. No names had been released as of Thursday morning, and the city has not said how the victims were related to one another or whether they all lived in the same unit of the two-unit home.
Nine people were injured. Four were civilians, and five were first responders — three firefighters and two police officers — who suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, the fire department said. All nine were expected to survive.
"This is an unimaginable loss, and we grieve alongside every loved one and neighbor and pray for the recovery of those injured," Mamdani said, according to USA Today.
What is known about the cause
The cause and origin of the fire remained under investigation on Thursday, officials said, and fire marshals were examining the scene. A lithium-ion battery was found in the home, the fire department said, but it was unknown whether it was related to the cause of the fire.
What is not yet known: the cause of the fire has not been determined. The lithium-ion battery found at the scene has not been linked to the blaze, and officials have not said where in the home the fire started. No further details about the victims have been released.
The home was built in 1915, according to city property records cited by the Associated Press. The two people rescued from behind window bars underline a recurring danger in older New York homes: bars fitted to keep intruders out can also trap residents inside during a fire, and fire officials regularly urge residents to fit bars that can be opened quickly from the inside.
Context: Sunset Park is a dense, largely residential neighbourhood of two- and three-storey row houses in south-west Brooklyn, many of them built in the early 1900s. Fires in such homes can spread quickly through shared walls and old timber framing, which is why the department sent a three-alarm response — 74 units and 231 personnel — to a single house fire.
Timeline of the fire
| Time (local, 5 November) | What happened |
|---|---|
| Just before 2 a.m. | Fire reported at the two-storey row house on 58th Street, Sunset Park |
| Within 4 minutes | First crews arrive; fire burning on every floor, flames from every window |
| Early hours | Four people rescued through a rear entrance; two had been trapped behind window bars |
| Just before 4:30 a.m. | Fire brought under control, about three hours after it was reported |
| Thursday morning | Six confirmed dead, nine injured; eight neighbours displaced and rehoused in hotels |
Frequently asked questions
How many people were killed and injured?
Six adults were killed and nine people were injured, according to New York City's fire department. The injured include four civilians, three firefighters and two police officers. All nine injured were expected to survive.
Where and when did the fire happen?
The fire broke out just before 2 a.m. local time on Thursday, 5 November, in a two-storey, two-unit row house on 58th Street in the Sunset Park neighbourhood of Brooklyn, New York. It also damaged an adjoining home.
What caused the fire?
The cause has not been determined. Fire marshals are investigating. A lithium-ion battery was found at the scene, but the fire department said it was unknown whether it was related to the cause.
Were the victims identified?
No. As of Thursday morning, the city had not released the names of the six people who died, and it had not said how they were related.
What happened to people displaced by the fire?
Eight people from nearby buildings were displaced and were rehoused in local hotels, according to the mayor.
Key takeaways
- Six adults were killed and nine people injured in a three-alarm house fire in Brooklyn's Sunset Park early on Thursday, 5 November.
- More than 200 first responders were sent to the scene; firefighters rescued four people, including two trapped behind window bars.
- The fire was brought under control in about three hours. An adjoining home was also damaged and eight neighbours were displaced.
- The cause is still under investigation. A lithium-ion battery was found at the scene but has not been linked to the blaze.
What to watch next
Fire marshals will determine the cause and origin of the fire, and the city is expected to release the victims' identities once their families have been notified. Any finding on the role of the lithium-ion battery found at the scene will be closely watched, given the number of fires New York has linked to such batteries in recent years. The fire department is also expected to say more about the rescue, including how crews reached the two people trapped behind window bars.
