by KIAWANA RICH
Five firefighters were injured yesterday battling an all-hands fire in South Beach that left several people homeless. The fire at 269-271 Sand Lane, a two-story attached apartment building, was deemed suspicious by fire officials who called in marshals to investigate. Inspectors from the city Department of Buildings also were summoned to investigate the early-afternoon fire. The building, with a light pink facade, suffered serious fire damage, particularly in the top-floor apartment on the 269 side, according to FDNY Deputy Chief William Tanzosh of Division 8. "Tremendous," said Tanzosh of the fire damage. "The apartment on the top floor of 269 is burnt. That whole apartment is burnt up." He said the fire appeared to originate from that apartment, then traveled into the cockloft and moved across the interior roof space to the top apartment at 271 Sand Lane. Firefighters had to open up the cockloft to extinguish the blaze. A tower truck ladder was raised across the middle of Sand Lane toward the building's roof, allowing firefighters access to it and the top-floor apartments. There was heavy water and smoke damage throughout the building, Tanzosh said. An FDNY spokesman said one firefighter suffered a lower back injury and another had a knee sprain. Information about the injuries sustained by the other three firefighters was not available. Two of the firefighters were from Ladder Co. 77 in Stapleton; one from Ladder Co. 81 in South Beach; one from Engine Co. 153 in Stapleton and one from Engine Co. 165 in New Dorp. They were taken to Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze. The building's first-floor apartment on the 269 side appeared to have untouched by the flames. Tanzosh said no residents were inside the building when firefighters arrived. City Building Department inspectors at the scene filed a complaint stating that the building's structural stability was in question. According to Buildings records, a complaint was filed in 2005 stating there was an illegal cellar apartment in the building; a second complaint that year stated there was an illegal basement apartment at the site. A Building Department representative said both those complaints were found to be invalid. Volunteers for the American Red Cross were at the scene providing financial assistance to those in need, said Suzanne Lutz, director of the Island Red Cross. She said several people also would be provided accommodations at Island hotels.
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