by TAMER EL-GHOBASHY And JESSICA FIRGER
Police and fire department officials are investigating a suspicious blaze that broke out in a Brooklyn brownstone early Monday that injured 13 people, including four firefighters, authorities said.
When firefighters arrived at the Putnam Avenue building in Bedford Stuyvesant at about 4:30 a.m. thick brown smoke was billowing out of the four-story house as residents hung out of windows gasping for air, officials said.
The fast moving fire has been deemed suspicious and is under investigation by fire marshals and New York Police Department, officials said.
Out of the 11 residents, nine were taken to various hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, fire department officials said. One person was listed in critical condition. Four firefighters were also hospitalized with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, officials said.
A law-enforcement official with knowledge of the case said detectives are investigating if the fire was related to an Aug. 25 shooting in which an unidentified building resident was shot and injured in front of the brownstone.
Firefighter Peter Demontreux, of Ladder Company 132, was burned on his back and face when he entered the building to rescue a third-floor resident. He said the apartment was fully engulfed when he went in and visibility was nearly zero but followed the voice of a man yelling for help in a back room.
"We're all trained to do the same thing," Mr. Demontreux said. "Anyone that would hear someone yelling in the back of an apartment would do the exact same thing." Mr. Demontreux emerged from the inferno carrying the victim and handed him off to a fellow firefighter.
"I just wanted to get out of there as fast as possible," he said. On our way out everything was burning."
Firefighter Richard Myers of Rescue Company 2 "patted out" the fire that engulfed Mr. Demontreux. Mr. Myers said he feared Mr. Demontreux was dead or seriously injured.
"I looked at Pete and he was on fire," Mr. Myers said. "I said 'Pete you scared the hell out of me.' "
A building resident, who only gave his first name as Henry, said he was awoken just before the fire started by sounds that resembled someone struggling to break into the building. Henry, 59 years old, said it was followed by the sound of glass shattering, then a small explosion.
Henry, a second-floor resident, was rescued by a firefighter who carried him down a ladder. A friend staying with him, who was asleep, was critically injured.
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