FDNY Firefighter dies falling out of bucket

A 23-year-old firefighter from Ladder 146 died this afternoon after he
fell several floors while battling a blaze in Brooklyn.

The fire broke out just before 5 p.m. at four-story building on
Meserole Street in Williamsburg and took over an hour to extinguish.

The firefighter, whose name has not been released, was taken to
Bellevue Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said Queens resident Daniel
Pujdak fell while trying to climb out of the bucket into the
fourth-floor window.

Witnesses say it was a frightening scene.

"When I see him step up on the roof, I just seen him tumbling down,"
said one witness. "That's all I saw, him tumbling down. I just shut my
van off and ran to the scene."

"It was bad," said another witness. "He was coming down really quick.
He was coming around screaming."

Pujdak had been on the job for two years.

Fire officials say the fire was caused by a cigarette.

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