by Ken Rosato
(E. Williamsburg-WABC, December 6, 2006) - Firefighters in Brooklyn have were battling flames for most of the morning, trying to put out a stubborn factory fire in Brooklyn.
Eyewitness News reporter Ken Rosato has the latest.
The fire broke out almost ten hours ago, at noontime firefighters were still putting out some hotspots. Meanwhile investigators were still trying to figure out how the fire was started.
Huge flames lit up the early morning sky in East Williamsburg, as fire ripped through a frozen foods processing plant, reducing the building to little more than a shell.
Vybert Jeffrey, Neighbor: "I was very scared."
At 2:15 this morning, a fire is reported at 158 Cook street. By the time firefighters arrived on the scene, flames had already engulfed the location. Backup was called in, raising the blaze to four alarms.
The bitter cold temperatures only made the job more difficult. More than 150 firefighters spent hours trying to get the fire at Tovli Frozen Food products under control.
One firefighter was hurt in the process but is expected to be okay.
Chief John Acerno, Citywide Tour Commander, FDNY: "At the time the fire was suspicious the owner did say he smelled smoke before he closed. They didn't find anything. He told me he locked up around 10:00 p.m."
Meanwhile, dozens of workers showed up this morning to find their place of employment, gone. They told me in Spanish that most of them live paycheck to paycheck, and worry not only what to do for the holidays, but where their next meal is coming from.
No one was inside the building when it broke out. The one firefighter that hurt his leg is doing just fine.
 |
