Fire destroys nine stores in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and leaves nine firefighters and one medic injured after blaze started inside chocolate shop on Lee restaurant

A huge inferno has gutted nine businesses in Brooklyn, New York leaving nine firefighters and one medic injured.

Emergency crews arrived at Lee Avenue and Hooper Street just before midday on Sunday in Williamsburg, requesting additional units within minutes of getting to the blaze.

The first floor inferno started in a chocolate shop and spread to nine nearby retail stores prompting a swift evacuation of the building.

Footage from the scene showed firefighters preparing themselves to fight the blaze as large plumes of thick black smoke rose from the stores.

A huge inferno has gutted several businesses in Brooklyn, New York leaving nine firefighter and one medic injured

Fire crews used a cherry picker to hose down the flames that had left parts of the store scorched and blackened with ash.

'We used saws to cut the gates and we were able to get in,' FDNY Chief John Hodgens said in a press conference on Sunday afternoon.

'They had heavy fire throughout the building by the time they got inside. It was a challenging fire.' The fire was under control by 3:45pm.

Earlier today, in Brownsville, fire crews combated another blaze at a high rise in Livonia street. 

The  fire came from the 11th floor of the building and three children were hospitalized as a result.

The kids were alone at the time and it was difficult to get into the apartment which had no smoke alarms.

Fire crews used a cherry picker to hose down the flames that had left parts of the store scorched and blackened with ash

The first floor inferno started in a chocolate shop and spread to nine nearby retail stores prompting a swift evacuation of the building

'The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but the fire was on the 11th floor so that's challenging right off the bat, said Hodgens. 

'They get up there the door was locked, the three children were inside, there was a pretty heavy fire condition inside.

'Our members had to force the door open, crawl in, they found two of the children in the living room and one they found right behind the door they were all unconscious.'