Six Dead in Sunset Park House Fire

Early Thursday morning, a three-alarm fire swept through a two-story rowhouse in Sunset Park, killing six people.

The fire began shortly after 1:40 a.m. at a home on 58th Street near Seventh Avenue. Officials stated the blaze appeared to start on the second floor before spreading through the entire structure. The front exterior of the building was charred black, and the cause remains under investigation.

Four adults were pronounced dead at the scene. Two additional victims died while being transported to the hospital. The medical examiner will determine the identities of the four found at the home. Four other residents and three firefighters sustained non-life-threatening injuries. A man was taken to Staten Island University Hospital with foot burns, and a woman was transported to Maimonides Medical Center for smoke inhalation.

Engine Company 201 and Tower Ladder 114 arrived first to find heavy fire throughout the wood-frame building. More than 175 firefighters responded to the scene. They deployed five hoselines to control the main body of the fire. Crews conducted secondary searches for two hours as heavy smoke lingered. Firefighters pulled down ceilings and cut holes in the roof to release superheated gases.

FDNY First Deputy Commissioner Daniel Flynn praised the units for containing the blaze. Flynn said, “Great aggressive work from our units preventing further extension in this row of 25 units.”

Eight residents were displaced from the building. The American Red Cross is providing them with temporary hotel accommodations.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke at the scene Thursday morning. He called the fire “devastating” and acknowledged the lives of the six New Yorkers lost. Mamdani raised concerns about the increasing number of fires involving lithium-ion batteries in electric bikes. He noted that e-bike fires have increased to more than 400 incidents this year.