Fire Probe Focuses on Pipe Failure

Three officials demoted after blaze kills 2 in uninspected building

(NEWSER) - Three top FDNY officials were demoted today in the wake of the Deutsche Bank fire that claimed the lives of two firefighters. The August 18 blaze has been blamed on careless smoking, but the department neglected required inspections on the condemned building. The commissioner also ordered inspections of all construction and demolition projects in the city, the Daily News reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Two firefighters died in a blaze that broke out this afternoon in a skyscraper being demolished at the edge of ground zero in Lower Manhattan. The fire broke out in the partially dismantled Deutsche Bank building, which had been vacant since 9/11, condemned because health officials ruled that it was too contaminated with toxic dust and debris to be renovated. More»

He's makes first trip as president as 'closure' for New York City

(NEWSER) - President Obama made his first visit to Ground Zero as president, a trip the White House views as "closure" for New York City in the wake of Osama bin Laden's killing, reports the Daily News . He first visited a firehouse that lost 15 firefighters on 9/11. "When we say we will never forget, we mean what we say," said Obama, who ate lunch with the squad. "You’re always going to have a president and an administration who’s got your back." The president then visited Ground Zero and laid a memorial wreath. He also met privately with family members of 9/11 victims. More»

Devices could someday put out fires with electricity

(NEWSER) - A little piece of Hogwarts may someday be reality: firefighters could eventually replace their hoses with flame-snuffing wands, the Daily Mail reports. Scientists attached a 600-watt electrical amplifier to a wand that blasted a foot-high fire with electricity, and the flames were extinguished almost immediately, they announced at a conference this weekend. Even a weaker current would have an effect, said one. More»

Fire rips through building with 70 apartments

(NEWSER) - A five-alarm fire ripped through a Brooklyn apartment building last night, leaving one resident dead, 100 homeless, and injuring more than 20 firefighters as some 200 of them battled the blaze in high winds, reports the New York Post. The fire broke out just before 7pm, but wasn't brought under control until early this morning. The building had about 70 apartments. One man said he helped a neighbor and his toddler escape through a window: "The guy came through the window . . . he had nothing. I gave him shoes, a coat, and a sweater." More»