NEW YORK _ A New York Fire Department firefighter from Floral Park died after battling a Harlem blaze Thursday night on the set of a film starring the actor Edward Norton, officials said.
Michael Davidson, 37, of Engine Co. 69, had been with the FDNY for 15 years and is from a family of firefighters, Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. His father is retired and had worked at the same Harlem firehouse; his brother works in the Bronx.
Davidson is survived by his wife, Eileen, and four young children _ three daughters ages 7, 3 and 1 and a son, age 6, according to the FDNY.
"Our entire department, our entire city, mourns this horrific loss of a very brave firefighter," Nigro said at a news conference early Friday, his voice breaking. "Our hearts and our prayers go out to the family, and may God rest his soul."
Investigators don't yet know the cause of the fire, Nigro said, but it's being investigated. The location of the fire is the former home of St. Nick's Pub, a St. Nicholas Avenue jazz club that closed in 2011.
In a statement the producers of the period crime drama "Motherless Brooklyn" said "our hearts ache in solidarity" with Davidson's family. Norton is producing and directing the film.
"We watched firsthand with astonishment as (firefighters) charged into the smoke to make sure all were safely out and then fought to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading, putting their lives on the line as they do every day," the statement said. "The FDNY are real life superheroes and have our boundless admiration."
Producers explained the circumstances of the fire, saying they were "towards the end of our working day and had dozens of people working on site when our crew noticed that smoke was coming into our set and into other parts of the building from below us."
Upon noticing the smoke "coming up into our set, our crew immediately alerted the fire department and began alerting residents of the building even as we evacuated our cast and crew."
The first call came in just before 11 p.m. The fire was in the cellar of 773 St. Nicholas Ave., which was unoccupied, Nigro said.
Conditions worsened after hose lines were brought down, he said, and firefighters had to retreat.
Davidson was assigned to the nozzle, which means he had "the responsibility of operating a hose line to suppress the fire," the FDNY said.
"They encountered heavy fire. They did the best they could. The fire continued to advance. Units were forced to back out of the building. Somehow, while backing out of that building, firefighter Davidson was separated from the rest of the unit," Nigro said.
Fellow firefighters returned, searched the cellar of the building _ which was built in 1920 and not fireproof _ and found Davidson unconscious, Nigro said. He died at Harlem Hospital.
"This experienced firefighter had the job of putting out this fire, which he was bravely doing," Nigro said. "Sometimes the volume of fire just is so overwhelming that it can't be accomplished."
Fire officials said the blaze also left one firefighter with serious but not life-threatening injuries, and another firefighter with minor injuries. Three civilians had minor injuries.
Nigro noted that Davidson was the 1,150th New York City firefighter to die in the line of duty in the FDNY's 153-year history.
Davidson was appointed as a firefighter in May 2003, and "on four different occasions he was cited for bravery and lifesaving actions," the FDNY said.
Officials said Davidson was the son of retired firefighter Robert Davidson, who served the department for 26 years "primarily in the same firehouse as his son," the FDNY said. His brother, firefighter Eric Davidson, an 11-year veteran, works at Engine Co. 88 in the Bronx.
"Our city lost a hero tonight," Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted. "The prayers of 8.5 million New Yorkers are with his wife, his four children and his loved ones."
The New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund, also known as Answer the Call, said it would provide financial assistance to Davidson's family.
The fund pledged to provide $25,000 "to assist with immediate expenses" and continue to raise money to provide the firefighter's widow "with annual financial support for the rest of her life."
In Harlem, a somber feeling surrounded the old brick firehouse on 143rd Street where Davidson was stationed.
Firefighters came and went, talking to each other in quiet tones. The street was shut down and clogged with vehicles.
Not far away the sounds of a church bell floated over the scene. Fire officials said they are planning a bunting ceremony in which black and purple banners are draped across the front of the firehouse, built in 1905.
Jacqueline Harrison, an assistant teacher in the school across the street from the firehouse, came to lay some flowers.
"I feel for his workers, his family," she said.
She praised the selflessness of firefighters.
"They're working for us," she said.
