An FDNY crew returned to their Staten Island firehouse Monday night to find a working fire in the basement.
Ladder 83 came back from a downed wires call to the fire station they share with Engine 163 on Jewett Avenue when the fire was discovered.
"Upon returning to quarters, they found smoke emanating from the housewatch and the basement doors. They transmitted a 10-75 and proceeded to stretch a hose line off of the hydrant," Deputy Assistant Chief Brian Gorman said in a statement. "There was a very heavy fire condition in the basement."
Gorman said the initial investigation lead them to believe "a power surge caused a ballast to blow in the basement and ignite combustibles." He added that there were power issues in the neighborhood.
A witness said a blown transformer dropped burning wires down on the station, according to the Staten Island Advance.
Two firefighters sustained injuries during the fire, the paper reported.
The two-story brick station sustained heavy smoke damage.
"The structural integrity is being checked by the Department of Buildings to make sure it’s safe for members to go back inside," he said.
In December 2021, Lt. Joesph Maiello was found deceased in his bunk at the station.
The crew returned from a run after Maiello worked Christmas night and found him unresponsive.
