Seven New York City firefighters responding to a multi-car fire in the Bronx on Wednesday night were injured in an explosion, officials said.<\/b>
\nNov. 6 Seven New York City firefighters responding to a multi-car fire in the Bronx on Wednesday night were injured in an explosion, officials said.
Fire Chief John Esposito said in a statement that five of the injured suffered burns to the face and hands. Three of the injured were admitted to the hospital with burns considered serious but not not life-threatening.
\u00ab\u00a0Our firefighters are awake, alert and speaking, but they have serious burns, and we’ll be praying for them\u00a0\u00bb, he said.
The injured firefighters were receiving care at Jacobi Medical Center.
The incident occurred at about 7 p.m. EST at 955 Westchester Avenue of the Bronx, where firefighters responding to multiple calls of a fire found several cars and nearby piles of garbage ablaze.
As the firefighters battled the blaze, the explosion occurred, Esposito said, explaining a \u00ab\u00a0large fireball\u00a0\u00bb erupted from the blaze.
The cause of the fire and subsequent explosion was under investigation. The Bureau of Fire Investigation was on the scene, Esposito said.
Jacobi Medical Center surgeon Dr. Sheldon Teperman told reporters during a press conference at the hospital that they expect all of the injured firefighters to recover from their injuries.
Teperman said he had spoken with the firefighters, who explained that \u00ab\u00a0a wall of fire\u00a0\u00bb had come on and surrounded them \u00ab\u00a0and what they were concerned about is their colleagues and their families.\u00a0\u00bb
\u00ab\u00a0There is reason why I refer to you folks as New York’s greatest\u00a0\u00bb, he said.<\/p>\n