Yesterday a serious fire in South Park Slope caused major damage to 615 5th Ave, 617 5th Ave, 619 5th Ave and 255 17th Street. According to a post on City Council Member Brad Lander’s blog: “all the apartments were empty at the time of the fire and no residents were injured, but two firefighters did sustain minor injuries.”

The buildings mentioned above are all uninhabitable at this time, and at least 10 families have been displaced. According to Lander, the Red Cross was on the scene right away, and is providing temporary shelter to these families.

You can assist these families by making a donation to the Red Cross of Greater New York.

A number of businesses were also affected by this fire, including the Associated Supermarket, Judy’s Hair Salon, Marble Lounge, and the Open Source Gallery.