Fatal Fire Early This Morning On East 15th Street

A fire broke out in a home on East 15th Street, between the LIRR tracks and Avenue I, this morning, claiming the lives of two neighbors.

Police say they responded to a 911 call for a fire at the home at about 3:30am on Wednesday, October 30. The FDNY tells us they were able to put out the two-alarm blaze in about an hour, when EMS on the scene discovered a 91-year-old woman unconscious and unresponsive, who was pronounced dead at the scene. According to police, EMS also removed a 63-year-old man to Kings County Hospital, where he was pronounced DOA. Three other occupants of the house were treated for minor injuries at Maimonides Hospital.

As of the time of this posting, the block remains closed to both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

Police have not yet released the names of those who died, and they say the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Our deepest condolences to their family and friends.

UPDATE 10am: According to the FDNY, the cause of the fire was a damaged extension cord powering a space heater, in a house with no smoke alarms.