Authorities at the scene of this afternoon’s Pike Street explosion and fire offered a few details about the incident at a press conference a little while ago. Here are the latest facts and figures from the FDNY’s Robert Boyce.
- The fire department was notified of the fire at 12:42 p.m. Fire units arrived in three minutes.
- There apparently had been an explosion on the first floor of the five-story tenement building at 17 Pike St., which was built before 1945. There was “heavy fire on the first floor, with extension to the second and third floor,” as well as “minimal collapse,” inside, which was considered minor and not structural.
- There were 12 casualties in all: eight civilians and four “walking wounded” firefighters. Of the civilians, three were considered seriously injured by burns and smoke.
- The initial investigation points toward an explosion in the beauty parlor on the ground floor, Piao Liang Ren Shenzhen Beauty. Fire marshals are still investigating the exact nature of the explosion, and whether natural gas was involved.
- No adjacent buildings evacuated.
- The Red Cross was on the scene, offering snacks and a rest area nearby, and offering to help residents displaced by the fire.
