Staten Island Fire Kills Two Brothers, Injures Firefighters

A five-alarm fire consumed a home on Jewett Avenue on Staten Island early this morning. The Daily News reports two brothers were killed (they are believed to be in their 20s) and their mother cried, "My boys are gone. My boys are gone." Nine firefighters were also injured and a fire official described the fire as "hot, smoky, dangerous, confusing and blinding." Lt. John Eccleston also told the News, "It was the worst private dwelling fire I've seen in 25 years. We could see the glow from a half mile away." Other witnesses said it was a "fireball" and compared it to the movie "Backdraft... Flames were double the size of the house. It was like planes had dropped bombs on top of the houses." The FDNY considered the fire suspicious.