Seven New York City firefighters were injured after battling a raging fire in the Bronx that triggered a massive car explosion.
The FDNY responded around 7 p.m. to reports of a fire at 955 Westchester Avenue in the Longwood section of the Bronx, where burning piles of garbage on the sidewalk had spread to multiple parked vehicles.
As firefighters worked to control the flames, a powerful explosion ripped through the scene, sending a ball of fire into the air and injuring several first responders.
FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said five of the injured firefighters suffered burns to their hands and faces, while three were admitted to Jacobi Medical Center for further treatment.
“The burns are considered serious, but not life threatening,” Esposito said. “Our firefighters are awake, alert, and speaking, but they have some serious burns, and we’ll be praying for them.”
Esposito described the moment of the blast as chaotic and dangerous. “There was a lot of garbage and debris on the sidewalk that was on fire. There were a couple of cars on fire, and shortly after we arrived on the scene, there was some sort of explosion, a large fireball,” he told reporters.
Witnesses said the explosion lit up the night sky and sent residents scrambling for safety. Liza Almonte, who works nearby, told WABC that she saw the fire erupt outside her building near Fox Street and Westchester Avenue.
“I’m like, how am I going to get out? That’s what I thought,” Almonte said. “It’s very worrying because at the time of the big explosion, they — I don’t know how close one of them was, because the fire truck was already here when it happened.”
Videos posted to social media showed flames engulfing several cars and piles of debris as firefighters doused the area with hoses. One clip captured the sudden fireball erupting from a parked vehicle, prompting onlookers to shout as smoke filled the street.
FDNY officials said the fire was brought under control by 8:19 p.m., more than an hour after the first alarm. Engine 82, one of the responding fire trucks, sustained damage during the incident.
Dr. Sheldon Temperman of Jacobi Hospital, who treated the most severely injured firefighters, said all of them were expected to recover. “A wall of fire came on them and surrounded them,” he told The New York Post. “I’ll be worried until they’re all home, but we do expect that they will recover from their injuries.”
Temperman said the firefighters he spoke with were more concerned for their fellow crew members than themselves. “What they were concerned about was their colleagues and their families. And there is a reason why I refer to you folks as New York’s Greatest,” he said.
Residents described the aftermath as devastating, with burned-out cars, shattered glass, and scorched debris scattered across the block. Photos from the scene showed firefighters examining a vehicle that had been completely incinerated as smoke continued to billow from nearby trash heaps.
FDNY said the initial fire appeared to have started in piles of garbage on the sidewalk before spreading rapidly to two or more vehicles. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation by the department’s fire marshals.
By late evening, emergency crews had cordoned off several blocks in the area as investigators combed through the debris. Streets around Westchester Avenue remained littered with wreckage and melted metal, and the smell of smoke hung in the air for hours.
City officials said all seven injured firefighters are expected to make full recoveries. “These men and women risk their lives every day for New Yorkers,” Esposito said. “We’re grateful that this didn’t end in tragedy.”
The explosion comes just two days after Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s victory speech in New York City. The blaze comes amid a major leadership change at the Fire Department of New York. Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker announced Thursday that he will step down from his post next month, just one day after Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral race.