Last night, a three alarm fire broke out in a three-story building on Covert St. in Brooklyn, killing two of the occupants. Fire officials believe the two adult men were trapped in the illegally subdivided building: One victim died after jumping out of a window and the other's body was found on the top floor.
The fire started just after 9 p.m. and the NY Times reports, "The blaze grew rapidly, gutting the top floor of the row-house, spreading to at least three other buildings and blanketing the street in a haze of smoke." Firefighters arrived shortly, but "Flames shot out of every window in the back of the building, and poured through several windows in the front." A resident in a neighboring building said, "The fire was going so fast, it was climbing the walls. It was leapfrogging to the buildings next door."
Gregory Atkinson, 44, was found in the courtyard, after apparently jumping from a window. He was a familiar figure on the block, known as Uncle Jiggs; one neighbor said, "He knew every single body on this block. When we were kids, he would take us to the store for candy. Everyone loves Uncle Jiggs." The victim found inside the building was identified as Frank Edwards, 56, in the Daily News.
