Testimony continued Monday in the 'Black Sunday' case, in which two firefighters were forced to jump to their deaths from a Bronx building in 2005.
A firefighter who helped fight the fire that claimed the lives of Curtis Meyran and John Bellew, of Pearl River, told jurors that at one point there was no water available to fight the blaze for about 10 minutes.
A water line did not reach the fourth floor - where the fire was raging - until after the two firefighters plunged to their deaths. The defense is arguing the lack of water led to the desperate measures taken by the firefighters.
But prosecutors contend illegal partitions in the building hampered the efforts of Meyran and Bellow by confusing and leaving them with little choice but to jump to their deaths.
Cesar Rios, the building's landlord, Rafael Castillo and Caridad Coste face counts of second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment in the case.
Jurors hear radio transmissions in 'Black Sunday' trialTestimony continues in 'Black Sunday' trial Defendants in 'Black Sunday' case go on trial Tenant: 'Black Sunday' repeat possible at building