NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Sunday, April 13, 2014, 1:30 AM
Joe Marino/New York Daily News Firefighters rescued two people from fourth- and fifth-floor windows after a fire broke out in a five-story brownstone on Lafayette Ave. in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, Saturday morning. First came the boom, then the flames.
A fire ripped through a five-story Brooklyn brownstone Saturday morning following a loud explosion, neighbors and officials said.
The first floor of the Lafayette Ave. building near Vanderbilt Ave. in Fort Greene erupted in flames shortly after 10 a.m., officials said.
Several residents told the Daily News they heard a loud noise before the fire and feared a tragedy like the gas explosion that killed eight people in Harlem last month.
“There was a loud bang and it woke me up,” said one neighbor, who would only identify himself as Roger. “My cats were flying all over the place. I looked outside and there were fire trucks galore.”
“I felt and heard the explosion,” said another neighbor, who did not want to be named. “Glass broke and the whole building shook.”
Joe Marino/New York Daily News Residents told the Daily News they heard an explosion before flames erupted on the first floor of the building. Responding firefighters rescued two people from fourth- and fifth-floor windows.
Six people suffered minor injuries — the worst being a burned foot — and were taken to area hospitals for treatment, officials said.
Firefighters put out the blaze, which sources said started in a first-floor kitchen, within a half hour, officials said.
An FDNY source confirmed that several people had called 911 claiming to have heard an explosion, but it wasn’t immediately clear if the sound was connected to the fire.
“There were no explosions going off when we got there,” the source said.
Joe Marino/New York Daily News The cause of the blaze at the building on Lafayette Ave. near Vanderbilt Ave. in Brooklyn was still being investigated early Sunday. Sources said the fire started in a first-floor kitchen. 
Joe Marino/New York Daily News All residents were evacuated, building manager Jan Ramakers said. 
Joe Marino/New York Daily News Six people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. 
Joe Marino/New York Daily News Residents feared a gas explosion, but the brownstone’s manager said the building does not run on gas.Previous Next
Building manager Jan Ramakers quickly ruled out the possibility of a gas explosion: The brownstone runs on electricity, she said.
“I couldn’t imagine what the explosion was,” she said. “There’s no gas in the building.”
All residents were evacuated from the building and are staying with friends, Ramakers said.
The cause of the fire was still under investigation early Sunday.
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