A fire tore through an apartment in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx overnight, leaving a father with severe burns and injuring a firefighter who responded to the blaze. The flames broke out at 721 Hunts Point Avenue just after 11 p.m., and the emergency unfolded quickly as fire spread through the inside of the apartment. Two people were hurt before crews brought the situation under control.
Video captured the moment the flames first broke out, showing a father shouting from his fire escape as the inside of his apartment lit up behind him. His cry for help continued as he climbed down to safety, step by step, away from the fire. As he reached the ground, severe burns could be seen across his body, injuries so visible that they were blurred in the footage.
As he made his way down, the father was heard in distress, wondering whether his daughter was still trapped inside the burning apartment. The fear gripped neighbors who gathered outside and watched the scene play out. Some of them held out hope through the night that the father and daughter would be reunited safely.
The frightening moment unfolded just after 11 p.m., and the response was swift and large. Nearly 80 crew members surrounded the building before battling the blaze from multiple sides. Crews worked to contain the fire as it threatened the structure, and the flames were put out before midnight.
When the fire was finally extinguished, it had left two people hurt. One of the injured was a firefighter who had responded to the call, while another person was left with serious injuries. The toll underscored how dangerous the fast moving blaze had been for both residents and the crews who rushed to the scene.
By the afternoon, the damage was plain to see. Neighbors were forced to walk past broken windows and charred exteriors, while a pile of shattered glass lay at the building's doorstep. The American Red Cross said it was assisting one family of three adults and one child who had been displaced by the fire.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Residents of the building were left to absorb the shock of the overnight emergency, with the charred apartment and damaged facade standing as a reminder of how close the situation had come to an even worse outcome. Investigators are expected to continue examining how the fire started.