ST. GEORGE — The massive fire that damaged seven Benziger Avenue homes and injured 23 people last week was caused by children playing with matches, the FDNY said.
The three-story home at 228 Benziger Ave., near Jersey Street, caught fire on the evening of Aug. 18 and spread to six other homes, officials said. It took nearly 250 firefighters about three hours to put out the flames, a Fire Department spokesman said.
The majority of the 23 injuries were minor, but one person was seriously hurt and taken to Richmond University Medical Center, according to the FDNY.
The next day, fire officials ruled the blaze was accidental and caused by children playing with matches. The kids will be enrolled in the FDNY's Juvenile Fire-Setters Intervention Program, which serves children under 12 years old, the agency said.
Per #FDNY Fire Marshals: Yesterday’s 6-alarm fire at 228 Benziger Ave #StatenIsland was accidental, caused by children playing w/ matches
— FDNY (@FDNY) August 19, 2016
Two boys — ages 6 and 8 — set papers on fire with matches and threw them on the porch of the home, sparking the fire, ABC 7 reported.
The Red Cross responded to the fire and provided aid for about 55 people — including at least 20 children — and 10 families who were given emergency housing at hotels, a spokesman said.
The Department of Buildings inspected five of the homes and issued full vacate orders for three of them because they're not safe to occupy, a spokesman for the agency said.
Inspectors ordered partial demolitions for the roof, attic and second floors of 226 and 228 Benziger Ave., the spokesman said.
