ME: FDNY firefighter from LI died of smoke inhalation

FDNY firefighter Michael Davidson died of smoke inhalation as he fought a fire Thursday in Manhattan, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York said Monday.

In a short statement, the chief medical examiner’s office said the manner of death was undergoing further study. Manner of death determinations are normally guided by the fire marshal report to determine if the death was accidental or brought on by some other means.

It was unclear Monday what caused Davidson to inhale smoke and not oxygen from his portable supply at the fire. A spokesman for the FDNY said that investigation by fire marshals was still ongoing.

Davidson, 37, the married father of four children from Floral Park, was the point man on a hose team when he entered the basement of a Harlem building being used as a movie set.

The fire occurred at 773 St. Nicholas Ave., the former home of St. Nick’s Pub, a jazz club that closed in 2011. The building is being used as a set for “Motherless Brooklyn,” a film directed by Edward Norton co-starring Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin and Willem Dafoe.

The film’s producers have said they were nearly done for the day when crew members saw smoke near the set and other parts of the building.

An FDNY spokesman said Sunday the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Davidson will be remembered at a funeral Mass Tuesday morning at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan.

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.comtonynewsday

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.