Edward Norton to testify in court over fatal fire where a New York firefighter was killed on Harlem set of his new film 'Motherless Brooklyn
- Actor Ed Norton will be called to testify in the lawsuit brought on by the widow of Michael Davidson, 37, an FDNY member who died in a fatal film set fire last year
- Davidson died while battling a fire on the Harlem set of Norton's new film, 'Motherless in Brooklyn', a blaze the actor was first to spot when it broke out
- Norton, who also directed the film, was said to have seen smoke coming from the basement of a building used in the shoot when the fire broke out March 22
- An official FDNY investigation blamed several building factors for the fire, including an issue with the boiler's flue pipe that ignited material nearby
- Davidson's widow and five displaced residents are suing Norton's production company, alleging the FDNY wasn't notified of alterations to the building
Actor Ed Norton is being called to testify in a lawsuit brought on by the widow of a fallen New York firefighter, who died while battling a fatal film set blaze in Harlem last year.
FDNY member Michael Davidson, 37, died while battling a fire in a building used in Norton's new film, 'Motherless in Brooklyn', a blaze the actor was first to spot when he spotted smoke coming from the basement.
An official FDNY investigation blamed several building factors for the fire, including an issue with the boiler's flue pipe that ignited material nearby.
Actor Ed Norton is being called to testify in a lawsuit brought on by the widow of a fallen New York firefighter, who died while battling a fatal film set blaze in Harlem last year
FDNY member Michael Davidson, 37, died while battling the fire, which Norton was first to spot when he spotted smoke coming from the basement of a Harlem building used in the movie
The fire broke out in the basement of 773 St. Nicholas Ave., while a film crew was inside the building on the ground floor, with actors dressed up in period costumes for a scene in the movie, 'Motherless Brooklyn', which Norton stars in and directs
Davidson's widow Eileen, joined by five displaced residents, however have filed a lawsuit against Norton's production company, Class 5, alleging the FDNY wasn't notified of alterations to the building made for the filming, reports the New York Post.
'These movie set walls created voids which initially concealed fire. The first units were unaware that these false walls were not (part) of the fire building', the FDNY concluded in a report, the Post reports.
Norton, also the director on the film, will be called on to testify in the case, which goes to court in February.
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The fire broke out in the basement of 773 St. Nicholas Ave., while the film crew was inside the building on the ground floor, with actors dressed up in period costumes for a scene in the movie, set in the 1950s.
The five-story building is home to the former St. Nick's Jazz Pub, which closed in 2011.
Davidson's widow Eileen (pictured)has filed a lawsuit against Norton's production company, Class 5, alleging the FDNY wasn't notified of alterations to the building made for the filming
'We were inside when the fire started and everybody came out panicking', actress and model Angelica Guillen tweeted after the incident, adding that they 'were all there and we are safe' while offering her condolences to Davidson's family.
The firefighter, a married 15-year-veteran with the FDNY and father of four young daughters, was reportedly the first fireman into the building and suffered serious injuries after becoming separated from his crew.
New York Fire Department Commissioner Daniel Nigro at the time said the blaze had erupted in the basement about 11pm and that crews went down the stairs to fight the fire with Davidson as nozzelman'.
New York Fire Department Commissioner Daniel Nigro after the fire was extinguished said the blaze (pictured) had erupted in the basement about 11pm and that crews went down the stairs to fight the fire with Davidson as nozzelman'.
Firefighters are pictured tackling the blaze as it burned on the set of'Motherless Brooklyn'
'They encountered heavy fire and 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.
'The search ensued. Members tried desperately to find firefighter Davidson and when they did he was unconscious.
'Despite the best efforts of the members of our fire fighting forces, EMS and here at the hospital, they were unable to revive Michael and he perished.
'Our entire city mourns his loss.'
It took more than 175 firefighters, and dozens of vehicles to get the fire extinguished by 2.30am the next morning.
It took more than 175 firefighters, and dozens of vehicles to get the fire extinguished by 2.30am the next morning.
Motherless Brooklyn is a crime drama set in 1950s New York based on a murder mystery novel by Jonathan Lethem.
The cast also includes Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Willem Dafoe and Alec Baldwin. The movie was released in November and has under performed at the box office.
The producers of 'Motherless Brooklyn' issued a short statement expressing their 'deepest condolences' to Davidson's family.
'Our production was 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. As soon as we noticed 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 producers of 'Motherless Brooklyn' issued a short statement expressing their 'deepest condolences' to Davidson's family. The firefighter, a married 15-year-veteran with the FDNY and father of four young daughters, was reportedly the first fireman into the burning building
