​New York Firefighter Dies on Set of Edward Norton Film 'Motherless Brooklyn'

BY Sarah MurphyPublished Mar 23, 2018

A New York City firefighter died last night (March 22) due to injuries sustained during a fire on the set of Motherless Brooklyn.
 
Michael R. Davidson was a 37-year-old father of four, who had served with the FDNY for 15 years. He sustained life-threatening injuries while battling a fire that erupted in a building where the Edward Norton-directed film was being shot and was pronounced dead upon arrival at Harlem Hospital.
 
Three civilians also suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
 
The fire started in the basement of a Harlem apartment building around 11 p.m. EDT; Norton reportedly noticed smoke and alerted officials. The cause of the fire is currently being investigated.
 
Norton and the producers of the film have since released a statement, which reads:
 
To our great sorrow, we now know that a NYC firefighter lost his life battling the blaze that grew, and our hearts ache in solidarity with his family. New York City firefighters truly are the bravest in the world. We watched firsthand with astonishment as they 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 film is an adaptation of a novel by Jonathan Lethem, and it stars Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Leslie Mann and Willem Dafoe.

Latest Coverage