Seven New York City firefighters were injured after battling a raging fire in the Bronx that triggered a massive car explosion.
The FDNY responded around 7 p.m. to reports of a fire at 955 Westchester Avenue in the Longwood section of the Bronx, where burning piles of garbage on the sidewalk had spread to multiple parked vehicles.
As firefighters worked to control the flames, a powerful explosion ripped through the scene, sending a ball of fire into the air and injuring several first responders.
FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said five of the injured firefighters suffered burns to their hands and faces, while three were admitted to Jacobi Medical Center for further treatment.“The burns are considered serious, but not life threatening,” Esposito said. “Our firefighters are awake, alert, and speaking, but they have some serious burns, and we’ll be praying for them.”
Esposito described the moment of the blast as chaotic and dangerous. “There was a lot of garbage and debris on the sidewalk that was on fire. There were a couple of cars on fire, and shortly after we arrived on the scene, there was some sort of explosion, a large fireball,” he told reporters.
Witnesses said the explosion lit up the night sky and sent residents scrambling for safety. Liza Almonte, who works nearby, told WABC that she saw the fire erupt outside her building near Fox Street and Westchester Avenue.
“I’m like, how am I going to get out? That’s what I thought,” Almonte said. “It’s very worrying because at the time of the big explosion, they — I don’t know how close one of them was, because the fire truck was already here when it happened.”
Videos posted to social media showed flames engulfing several cars and piles of debris as firefighters doused the area with hoses. One clip captured the sudden fireball erupting from a parked vehicle, prompting onlookers to shout as smoke filled the street.
FDNY officials said the fire was brought under control by 8:19 p.m., more than an hour after the first alarm. Engine 82, one of the responding fire trucks, sustained damage during the incident.
Dr. Sheldon Temperman of Jacobi Hospital, who treated the most severely injured firefighters, said all of them were expected to recover. “A wall of fire came on them and surrounded them,” he told The New York Post. “I’ll be worried until they’re all home, but we do expect that they will recover from their injuries.”
Temperman said the firefighters he spoke with were more concerned for their fellow crew members than themselves. “What they were concerned about was their colleagues and their families. And there is a reason why I refer to you folks as New York’s Greatest,” he said.
Residents described the aftermath as devastating, with burned-out cars, shattered glass, and scorched debris scattered across the block. Photos from the scene showed firefighters examining a vehicle that had been completely incinerated as smoke continued to billow from nearby trash heaps.
FDNY said the initial fire appeared to have started in piles of garbage on the sidewalk before spreading rapidly to two or more vehicles. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation by the department’s fire marshals.
By late evening, emergency crews had cordoned off several blocks in the area as investigators combed through the debris. Streets around Westchester Avenue remained littered with wreckage and melted metal, and the smell of smoke hung in the air for hours.
City officials said all seven injured firefighters are expected to make full recoveries. “These men and women risk their lives every day for New Yorkers,” Esposito said. “We’re grateful that this didn’t end in tragedy.”
The explosion comes just two days after Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s victory speech in New York City. The blaze comes amid a major leadership change at the Fire Department of New York. Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker announced Thursday that he will
step down from his post next month, just one day after Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral race.
It has been nearly a year since the chilling and jaw-dropping moment in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a would-be assassin opened fire at then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. This moment, which many feared could have been fatal, became a defining chapter in Trump’s political comeback as he overcame the terrifying assassination attempt. In an exclusive excerpt from the upcoming book
The book explores not just the immediate aftermath of the shooting, but the long-lasting impact it had on Trump’s image, his political fortunes, and his relationship with former critics. This assassination attempt, which took place on July 13, 2023, set the stage for a remarkable transformation in Trump’s campaign.
On that fateful day, Trump had just stepped off the stage at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a sniper, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, took aim at the former president. Positioned on a rooftop about 100 yards away from the rally, Crooks fired at Trump. The shot rang out, sending immediate shockwaves through the crowd and the Secret Service. Trump was caught in the crosshairs of a life-threatening assassination attempt.
In an extraordinary display of professionalism and quick action, Secret Service agents immediately rushed Trump, tackling him to the ground and securing him away from the sniper’s line of fire. They quickly evacuated him from the venue, and the chaos that ensued was the stuff of nightmares. The attack on Trump was the last thing anyone had expected, yet it happened so suddenly and with such precision that even those closest to him feared for the worst.
The book reveals that, despite the severity of the situation, Trump was surprisingly composed. “Trump was sitting up in bed, still wearing his suit. A bandage covered his ear. There was blood everywhere,” the book recounts. The amount of blood was so severe that even his closest aides were convinced that Trump had been shot multiple times. The bleeding was intense and far beyond what anyone had anticipated, which led to serious concerns about his condition.
Trump himself later recalled the harrowing experience, commenting in an interview that the blood loss was so substantial that it almost felt like he was losing control. “It was bleeding like a b****,” Trump said, referring to the amount of blood he was losing. However, despite the traumatic events and the grave situation, Trump showed a level of resilience that was almost unexpected.
One of the most striking aspects of Trump’s recovery was his ability to inject humor into the situation, even in the face of danger. Within hours of the assassination attempt, Trump began making jokes, lightening the mood in what could have been a grim and somber hospital room. His aides, who were initially shaken by the gravity of the situation, began to relax when they realized Trump was alive and in relatively good spirits.
According to the book, this was a defining moment for Trump’s resilience. “They realized he was alright because he started making jokes,” the authors write. His ability to regain his sense of humor, even in the midst of such a traumatic event, reflected his mental strength and determination to survive. This humor became a hallmark of his recovery, and his aides quickly saw that Trump’s toughness extended beyond just his physical survival—it was a mental and emotional strength that helped him recover.
What was initially seen as a near-fatal event quickly became a cornerstone of Trump’s political comeback. In the days that followed the assassination attempt, Trump’s image shifted dramatically. He was no longer just a candidate seeking re-election; he had become a survivor of a potentially fatal attack. This brush with death, coupled with his remarkable recovery, reinvigorated his supporters and even drew praise from his former critics. The assassination attempt added a new dimension to Trump’s public persona. He was no longer just another political figure—he had become a symbol of survival, resilience, and perseverance.
Trump himself reflected on the close proximity of the shot during an interview. “130 yards is like sinking a one-foot putt,” he said, referring to the sniper’s distance. “It’s considered really close,” he continued, emphasizing just how close he came to death. The fact that he was able to survive such a close-range attack only added to the narrative of his political comeback, making him a more formidable figure in the eyes of both supporters and detractors.
In the wake of the shooting, Trump’s campaign took on a new tone. The narrative was no longer solely about policy or rhetoric—it was about survival. His strength in the face of adversity became a major talking point. His supporters rallied behind him, viewing him as a figure who had not only withstood a deadly attack but had emerged even stronger for it. The symbolism of his survival resonated deeply with his base, who saw it as evidence of his resilience and determination.
Additionally, Trump’s recovery process and his response to the assassination attempt marked a turning point in the 2024 election race. His campaign, which had initially been struggling to gain momentum, saw a surge in support as people rallied around his story of survival. The moment of his near-death experience became a powerful symbol, solidifying his place in the race and giving him a renewed sense of political legitimacy.
What was even more surprising, however, was the shift in attitude from some of Trump’s most vocal critics. Figures like Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, and Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, had long been antagonistic toward Trump. However, after witnessing his survival of the assassination attempt, both men publicly reassessed their views of the former president.
Bezos, in particular, was quoted as saying that Trump’s instincts showed who he was as a person. “Bezos said Trump’s instincts showed who he was, and he wanted them to have a friendship,” the book reveals. For many observers, this marked a dramatic shift in the political landscape. Some of Trump’s fiercest critics were now reaching out, acknowledging his strength and resilience.
Zuckerberg, too, was impressed by Trump’s ability to recover from such a traumatic event. Describing the moment when Trump pumped his fist in the air after the shooting, Zuckerberg remarked that it was “one of the most badass things” he’d ever seen. This unexpected support from two of Silicon Valley’s most influential figures illustrated just how transformative the assassination attempt had been for Trump’s public image.
After the assassination attempt, even President Joe Biden, Trump’s political rival, reached out to offer his support. Despite their tense exchange during the debates just weeks earlier, Biden initiated a brief phone call with Trump to check on his well-being. The call, though awkward and brief, was a rare moment of civility between the two political adversaries.
“The exchange was awkward after their tense debate just two weeks earlier,” the book recounts. “The call was brief. But Trump described it as ‘very nice, actually.’” This moment of political reconciliation was symbolic of the larger political landscape in which both men were operating. The shooting had forced them to momentarily put aside their differences and engage in a civil exchange, if only for a short while.
Trump’s wife, Melania Trump, was waiting for him at their Bedminster, New Jersey estate when he was discharged from the hospital. The reunion between the two after the harrowing incident was deeply emotional, with Melania offering her support and comfort. In a moment of vulnerability, Trump leaned on his family, and his wife’s presence provided him with much-needed emotional strength.
Melania’s support was pivotal in Trump’s recovery, both physically and emotionally. Their bond, which had often been scrutinized by the public, became a symbol of the strength of their family. For Trump, the shooting incident served not only as a test of his own resilience but also a reminder of the importance of family and love in times of crisis.
The assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, was a pivotal moment in Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign. What started as a near-fatal event became the cornerstone of his comeback narrative. Trump’s ability to survive the attack, coupled with his resilience and ability to recover quickly, changed the trajectory of his political career.
In the weeks and months that followed, Trump’s image transformed from a controversial candidate to a political survivor. His story of overcoming the assassination attempt became a powerful symbol of strength and resilience that resonated deeply with both his supporters and even some of his critics. The shooting incident not only solidified his place in the 2024 race but also redefined his public image in ways that few could have predicted.
This moment in Trump’s political journey underscores the unpredictability of American politics and the lengths to which candidates must go to win the hearts and minds of the electorate. Whether Trump ultimately retakes the White House in 2024 or not, the Butler assassination attempt will remain a defining chapter in his remarkable political saga.
On a dusty roadside in a quiet village, a scene unfolded that seemed at first too ordinary to notice. A litter of puppies, born only days earlier, wriggled clumsily beside their mother. Yet one of them, the weakest of the group, lay still. Its tiny chest rose only faintly, its paws limp, as though life itself had already begun to slip away. What followed, however, was anything but ordinary.
A federal indictment unsealed Monday charges former Tamaulipas governor Tomas Yarrington Ruvalcaba, 56, and Mexican construction firm owner Fernando Alejandro Cano Martinez, 57, with conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
The two are also accused of conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to defraud, and conspiracy to make false statements to federally insured U.S. banks. A federal grand jury in Brownsville returned the indictment in May, and it was unsealed Dec. 2, according to an August press release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.