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According to officials, a firefighter died Thursday night
trying to put out a fire in an apartment building in Brooklyn.
The fire broke around 7:15 p.m. on the 14th floor
of the building in 25th stories at 1700 Bedford Avenue, at the Ebbets Field
Apartments in Crown Heights,
New York Daily News reports.
Four other firefighters and four civilians were slightly
injured in the blaze.
The firefighter Lt. John Martinson, 40, of Engine Company
249 of Brooklyn, was found lying unconscious on the floor of the apartment
where the blaze started. He had his mask off and was carried out by his
colleagues.
Five of his colleagues administrated CPR to him.
Martinson was taken to Kings County
Hospital. Here Mayor
Bloomberg and Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta were by his side.
Bloomberg said: "The year is only three days old and
already we are in a hospital in our city paying tribute to a hero who lost his
life."
Martinson along with other four colleagues rushed in
building and at the 14th floor they were hit by a wall of fire and smoke.
The firefighters tried to fight with the flames in the empty
apartment.
The couple who lived there rushed out and left the door
opened thus permitting the fire and smoke to spread.
According to officials, the firefighters that were with
Martinson exited the building unaware of the fact that he had collapsed inside.
Martinson lived in Staten Island
and is survived by his pregnant wife, Jessica, and son of 22 months old. He was
also a cop for four years but decided to become a firefighter like his dad, the
New York Times reports.
The cause of the fire was still investigated by the fire
officials.
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