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A fire that erupted around 1:40 a.m. on November 5 2026 in a two-story row house on 58th Street in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood claimed six lives while injuring seven others as more than 200 firefighters responded to the scene the city’s fire department reported. The blaze quickly escalated to three alarms with flames visible on every floor of the wood-frame building and heavy smoke pouring from multiple windows according to an FDNY assessment. Firefighters gained control of the incident after approximately three hours during which the second floor and staircase collapsed and the fire spread to an adjacent structure the department added in its update. Officials have not released the names or ages of any victims at this stage.
Upon arrival crews encountered fire blowing out of every window and met the blaze at the front door Kevin Woods the FDNY chief of fire operations said at a news conference near the charred building. Firefighters rescued four people from inside including two individuals trapped behind window bars by entering through a rear entrance Woods stated according to accounts from AP News. The intense fast-growing fire displaced eight neighbors who were relocated to hotels while the American Red Cross assisted those affected with temporary housing local officials confirmed.
Four people were pronounced dead at the scene while two others with critical injuries were transported to hospital where they later died the FDNY and NYPD both reported. Four additional civilians sustained non-life-threatening injuries and three firefighters suffered minor injuries during the operation according to department tallies. Two police officers also sustained minor injuries in the response one update from local media indicated bringing the total number of injured closer to nine in some accounts.
A lithium-ion battery was recovered at the scene prompting hazmat teams to respond though authorities stressed it remains too early to determine if the device caused the fire the FDNY said in statements carried by multiple outlets. FDNY data places the number of lithium-ion battery fires in New York City at 401 so far in 2026 resulting in 74 injuries and six deaths an increase from the prior year according to a department post on X. The department has highlighted a 67 percent drop in lithium-ion related deaths in 2024 compared with 2023 when 18 fatalities occurred but has continued urging residents to charge such devices outdoors where possible to reduce risks.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani appeared at the scene and praised the FDNY’s rapid response describing the fire as an intense fast-growing three-alarm event that will leave the neighborhood in mourning for some time the mayor said in remarks reported by local outlets. This incident occurs against a backdrop of ongoing FDNY efforts to combat lithium-ion battery fires which have seen increased non-structural incidents outdoors in recent years according to department figures released earlier in 2026. Electrical fires overall remain a leading cause of fire-related deaths in the city even as total fire fatalities declined 25 percent in 2024 from the previous year FDNY annual statistics show.
The row house sustained extensive damage with its front exterior heavily charred and interior largely destroyed officials noted following the all-hands response. Fire marshals continue to investigate the origin and cause with no determination announced as of Thursday afternoon the department reported. Community members gathered near the scene as emergency operations concluded with support services activated for those impacted by the loss and displacement.
