Man 'burns down apartment building with illegal firework display'
A man who was allegedly involved in a June 24 illegal fireworks display that caused a residential building to burn down has been arrested, New York City authorities have announced.
In surveillance video released on July 2, Damien Bend, from the Flatlands neighbourhood of Brooklyn, can be seen lighting fireworks in an alley between two buildings, authorities said.
Shortly before 9.30 pm, one of the incendiaries can be seen flying into an open window, lighting a fire inside.
Three individuals are then filmed continuing to light fireworks as the blaze grows, later burning out of control.
Just over 10 minutes later, according to the video’s timestamp, the fire is so intense that the siding on the building across the alley can be seen wilting.
Complaints about illegal fireworks have increased dramatically over summer.
Between June 1 and June 14, calls to New York City’s 311 hotline rose to 1,249 from only 21 during the same two-week period in 2019.
According to the FDNY, Bend was charged with arson in the fourth degree.
The fire department said the blaze required 12 units and 60 firefighters to put out.
FDNY via Storyful
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