CROWN HEIGHTS — Four children were rescued from a burning second-floor apartment when they were dropped into neighbors' arms as families crawled to safety from a fire that injured nine people, one critically, witnesses and officials said.
The blaze erupted at 718 St Marks Ave., near Nostrand Avenue, about 1:30 a.m., and filled the building with a thick cloud of smoke, an FDNY spokeswoman said.
"It was hot and smoke was starting to come into the apartment. I yelled to my wife to get up and get the kids up. Then I heard the firemen try to break the door open. I opened the door for them and the hallway was filled with black smoke," said second floor tenant Rodney Crowder, 38.
Crowder, who has a 2-year-old son and three daughters—6, 14 and 16, snatched his kids and ran to the window, he said.
"I put my kids on the fire escape and my wife went right behind them. People were climbing out and panicking from the other apartments. Firefighters were breaking out windows and my wife was passing the kids down," the father said.
Crowder's son was climbing down the fire escape when one of the bars gave way and he had to be lowered into the waiting arms of a neighbor, the dad said.
One person suffered critical injuries and was taken to Methodist Hospital, officials said.
Two people suffered serious injuries and were listed in stable condition at the same hospital along with another three people with minor injuries, officials said.
Three other people refused medical attention at the scene, an FDNY spokeswoman said.
FDNY officials were still at the building about 10 hours later, assessing the scene.
The buildings entryway and window sills were charred and caked in soot.
A man who said he is the owner also visited the scene to survey his scorched property, but declined to comment.
Fire marshals are trying to determine what sparked the blaze, officials said.
