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U.S. NEWSSaturday 24 March 2018

NYC firefighter dies battling blaze on Harlem movie set

Firefighters work at the scene of a fire Friday, March 23, 2018 that began overnight in the Harlem trol. novel of the same name.
neighborhood of New York. Firefighter Michael R. Davidson of Engine Company 69, died after Firefighter Michael R. Da- Norton was directing and
he became separated from his unit as they battled the fierce, smoky blaze that broke out in the vidson of Engine Co. 69 starring, along with Bruce
basement of a former Harlem jazz club being used as a film set for "Motherless Brooklyn," directed was assigned to the nozzle Willis, Willem Dafoe and
by Edward Norton. on the lead hose-line and Alec Baldwin.
pushed into the burning Neighborhood resident
(AP Photo/Jennifer Peltz) basement. Daquan Evans, 28, told the
But the blaze was too New York Post he saw Nor-
By COLLEEN LONG ter getting separated from the end of its working day much. Firefighters had to ton at the scene.
JENNIFER PELTZ his fellow firefighters in the at 11 p.m. Thursday. Flames back out, and the 15-year "He looked pretty upset,"
NEW YORK (AP) — A New thick smoke. poured out the windows Fire Department veteran Evans said. "This is crazy,
York City firefighter died The fire started in the cellar as firefighters stormed into was separated from his this fire. You think a movie
early Friday battling a as the crew of "Motherless the five-story Harlem build- colleagues. Firefighters comes up here and it is
fierce blaze on a movie Brooklyn," directed by Ed- ing, dumping water on the searched desperately for good for the neighbor-
set in a former jazz club af- ward Norton, was nearing blaze to get it under con- him, and he was found un- hood. Not a fire . . . damn."
conscious after suffering se- The cause of the five-alarm
vere smoke inhalation, Fire fire was under investigation.
Commissioner Daniel Nigro The building, built in 1920, is
said. Davidson was pro- a landmark and was home
nounced dead at a hospi- to the former St. Nick's Jazz
tal shortly after midnight. Pub, a venerable bar that
"This is an awful night," Eric was closed in 2011.
Phillips, a spokesman for Neighbor Joan Adams said
Mayor Bill de Blasio, said she saw white smoke, then
in a tweet. "You haven't black, billowing from base-
heard a scream until you've ment windows in the front
heard the scream of a of the building. But when
mother who's seen her son she went into her back-
give his life to protect us." yard, two buildings away,
Davidson, a second-gener- she could see flames.
ation firefighter, had been "It was really scary," she
cited four times for bravery said.
during 15 years on the job. The movie's producers said
The building was being crews immediately called
used to film the adaptation the fire department when
of the Jonathan Lethem they noticed smoke com-
ing into the set and other
City mourns loss of 2 firefighters killed in collapse parts of the building.
"We watched firsthand
YORK, Pa. (AP) — Federal David Michaels. "These homes for up to a week, 2010. The two firefighters with astonishment as they
investigators searched for were the guys you wanted and the area was closed are the 12th and 13th city charged into the smoke to
clues Friday, and a city in the firetruck." to traffic. The former fac- firefighters killed in the line make sure all were safely
mourned the loss of two Two other firefighters in- tory was being converted of duty in the department's out and then fought to
firefighters who were buried jured in the Thursday col- into residential units when history. "We are totally over- contain the blaze and pre-
in the rubble of a collapsed lapse, Assistant Chief Greg it caught fire. The firefight- whelmed," Michaels said. vent it from spreading, put-
former piano factory. Altland and firefighter Erik ers were looking for hot The York Fire Department ting their lives on the line
York firefighters Ivan Flan- Swanson, remained in the spots and searching for the and firefighters union start- as they do every day," the
scha and Zachary Anthony hospital Friday. cause of the blaze when a ed a GoFundMe cam- producers said in a state-
died at a hospital after be- The federal Bureau of Al- large section of the factory paign to help the families of ment sending condolences
ing pulled from the wreck- cohol, Tobacco, Firearms building's wall collapsed on the victims and the injured to the firefighter's family.
age of the former Weaver and Explosives took over them, York officials said. firefighters. Chad Taylor, of Background actor Am-
Organ and Piano factory, the investigation as crews The collapse trapped all the York-based band Live, broise Ironfence said the
the first city firefighters to worked to preserve the four of the firefighters. offered to help pay the movie crew wasn't using
be killed in the line of duty scene and assess the dan- Flanscha was named the expenses of the displaced any open fire during the
in nearly 50 years. ger by mapping out a po- York City Firefighter of the families, who also were be- shoot and the building's
"This is the worst day in my tential "collapse zone." Year in 2004, and was a 20- ing helped by a church. power wasn't on.
career, this is the worst day Residents who live nearby year veteran of the depart- York is about 100 miles “All the equipment we
for the York City Fire De- were told they might not ment. Anthony had been (about 160 kilometers) west were using ... the power
partment," said Fire Chief be able to go back to their with the department since of Philadelphia.q came from the truck out-
side,” he told WCBS-TV.q