LODDS

FDNY Firefighter Killed in Collapse at House Fire

April 25, 2022

FDNY firefighter Timothy Klein, 31, was killed during a collapse at a Brooklyn house fire Sunday.

FDNY firefighter Timothy Klein, 31, died in a Brooklyn house fire Sunday.

A six-year veteran of the FDNY was killed during a three-alarm house fire in Brooklyn Sunday afternoon.

According to a statement from the fire department, Timothy Klein, 31, was "critically injured in a collapse inside the building while he was bravely fighting the fire."

Firefighters were called to 10826 Avenue N around 1:30 p.m., according to NBC New York. A second alarm was requested shortly after crews arrived at the 2 1/2-story home.

“The incident commander identified deteriorating conditions and ordered all members out of the building,” Acting Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said. “As they were doing so, there was a partial collapse of the ceiling. Four members were caught in that collapse — three (got) out."

Firefighters were trapped when the ceiling collapsed, forcing several firefighters to exit second floor windows.

“Everything seemed to be going routine when suddenly the entire second floor became engulfed in flames,” said Acting Chief of Department John Hodgens said during a press conference. “Three other members that were with (Klein) were able to escape by jumping out windows and getting out ladders in other areas of the building."

In a series of tweets from NYC Fire Wire, a mayday was sounded and a request for an additional rescue and squad company was made, along with the third alarm.

“It just kept burning and burning,” neighbor Clara McKenley told the New York Post. “You felt like the wind was going to blow the flames from house to house.”

Several firefighters were taken to the hospital, including two who sustained burn injuries and were taken to the Staten Island burn center, the New York Post reported.

Over 100 firefighters from 36 units were summoned to the scene, ABC7.com reported.

Ladder 170 is no stranger to tragedy, having lost four firefighters to in the line-of-duty since 1998.

On Jan. 6, 2019, firefighter Steven Pollard was unable to clear the gap between two sides of a Belt Parkway bridge in Brooklyn when he fell and died.

Lt. Joseph Cavalieri died along with firefighters James Bohan and Christopher Bopp as they searched for a women trapped in a 10-story senior citizen high rise building on Dec. 18, 1998.

Klein is the 1,157th member of the department who died in the line of duty.