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New York Firefighters Battled Deadly Blaze Despite Running Out of Oxygen

Sunday, the Bronx in New York experienced a fire that devastated the area. In a truly heroic showing, the New York firefighters there continued battling the blaze despite running out of oxygen.

Sunday’s horrific fire left many without homes and unfortunately took at least 19 lives. The New York firefighters had their work cut out for them holding it back and went above the call of duty to do so. According to the New York Post, the heroes ran out of oxygen but continued to valiantly douse the flames.

Mayor Eric Adams addressed the firefighter’s efforts at a press conference. “Their oxygen tanks were empty and they still pushed through the smoke,” he stated. “You can’t do this if you don’t feel attached to the city and this community.”

Authorities report almost 200 of New York’s Bravest responded to the Bronx fire. The blaze engulfed a 19-story apartment building in the Tremont section of the borough. Sadly, at least 19 people lost their lives, with nine of them being children. This fact makes it New York’s deadliest fire in more than 30 years.

Joseph Brannigan was one of the people firefighters saved and talked to The Post about the experience. Brannigan is a 61-year-old terminal cancer patient who tried escaping the building with his nephew. The two of them got separated after he collapsed in a hallway filled with smoke. “Next thing I know, the firemen are dragging me into my apartment,” Brannigan said. “The firemen smashed all the windows and put oxygen on me.”

FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro attributes a malfunctioning space heater as the fire’s cause. He also stated the reason it spread so rapidly was an apartment door was left open, giving the flames a clear path to take.

After Losing Everything in a House Fire, North Carolina Firefighters Surprised the Family with a Gift

Like Mayor Eric Adams said about the firefighters in New York, certain feats only occur when you deeply care about your city and community. North Carolina firefighters seemingly hold a similar mentality, surprising a family that lost everything in a house fire right before Christmas.

Greensboro firefighters pitched in and surprised the family with $2,500 in Walmart gift cards. Several stations there took part in the endeavor, organizing a collaborative fundraising campaign to help the victims, Fox News reports. “We felt in the Christmas spirit to get everybody in the battalion to participate in a fundraising for the family, and…we’ve done the best we could with that,” Greensboro Fire Department Captain Ken Lilly said.

Lilly said the family included a mother, father, and three children ages 3, 4, and 12. When the family said they lost everything, this included Christmas gifts and even their pet dog.

Crystal Givens, the mother and wife, said she was losing hope before the firefighters announced their surprise. As of now, she’s trying to raise money to help her family get back on their feet.