(William Farrington)
SHOOTING FLAMES: Two of the 17 people who fled the raging fire in Borough Park yesterday are devastated. (
)
Holy smoke!
Three Brooklyn families say it’s a miracle they escaped this raging fire that erupted inside their home early yesterday.
“We could’ve died in there — it’s no small feat of God that we survived,” said Leighana Gonzalez, 28, who lives on the second floor.
The powerful blaze began inside a three-story house on 42nd Street near Fort Hamilton Parkway in Borough Park at 6:30 a.m. — but all 17 people fled in time, fire officials said.
Terrified residents, including two babies and two small children, ran into the street, some in their pajamas, to get away.
The three-alarm fire gutted the home, sending smoke into hallways, and making it hard to see and breathe.
“It was horrible. We all held onto each other and ran out,” said Gonzalez.
Gonzalez helped a young family escape from the third floor by “banging on the door and screaming ‘Fire, fire!’ ” she said.
Minutes after the families evacuated, flames exploded through the roof and windows, neighbors said.
All 17 residents were left temporarily homeless, residents said.
Building owner Valerie Grey, 54, said she was distraught about losing the building, which had been in the family for 30 years.
“I can’t even look at it right now,” Grey said.
The blaze began in the basement and was out by 8:25 a.m. — but it could have been much worse, fire officials said.
“I think we were fortunate, considering the severity of the fire and the number of people in the building,” said Robert Strong, an FDNY chiefFive firefighters — some of whom could be seen scaling the roof to extinguish the flames — suffered minor injuries and one tenant was hospitalized for trauma.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.