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Actor Ed Norton Praises ‘Selfless Courage' of FDNY After Film Set Blaze Kills Firefighter

What to Know

  • A 15-year veteran of the FDNY died from injuries he suffered while battling a massive fire at a movie set for an Ed Norton film
  • Norton took to Instagram Saturday to praise the FDNY and ask people to donate to a fund for Michael Davidson's children
  • A funeral for Davidson will he held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral next week

Actor Ed Norton took to social media on Saturday to praise the FDNY’s bravery and his film crew’s quick thinking in the wake of a film set inferno that killed a firefighter in Harlem earlier this week.

“I have never witnessed firsthand that kind of bravery,” Norton wrote in an Instagram post about the fire. “I’m in awe of that kind of selfless courage.”

Norton added: “It’s devastating to contemplate that one of the men we watched charging in there lost his life. Please send a prayer of thanks for the spirit and courage of Michael Davidson.”

Davidson, a 37-year-old who had been with the FDNY for 15 years, died from his injuries while battling the fire at St. Nicholas Avenue and 149th Street late Thursday night. 

The 15-year veteran got separated from his fellow firefighters while fighting the smoky blaze. When firefighters found him, he was unconscious and did not survive his injuries.

He leaves behind a wife and four children in Floral Park. 

The fire broke out at an apartment building that is the set of "Motherless Brooklyn," which, according to IMDB, is being directed by Norton and stars Bruce Willis, Willem Dafoe, Alec Baldwin, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Leslie Mann.

In one of two posts about Davidson, Norton said he and his team are “committed to honoring him and assisting his family.”

In a second post, the actor encouraged people to donate to the FDNY Foundation, which he said will fund the education of Davidson’s children.

Norton also praised members of his crew, including his assistant director, who he said “acted decisively and quickly to try to locate the source of the smoke, evacuate cast and crew, call the fire department and then rapidly move our equipment and vehicles away so that the FDNY had clear access.”

“Had our team not noticed the situation and responded and alerted the fire department with the speed they did, I believe the residents of the building above would have perished,” Norton wrote.

Davidson was promoted posthumously Saturday to a lieutenant. Meanwhile, purple and black bunting hung over Ladder 28 in Harlem, where he served.

His funeral is set for Tuesday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

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