A devastating blaze claimed the lives of two individuals and left nearly a dozen others injured after it tore through a historic Bronx building on Tuesday, authorities reported.
In a swift response to reports of flames and smoke, more than 270 firefighters and EMS personnel descended upon the century-old, 5-story structure located on East 187th Street, nestled between Belmont and Cambreleng avenues, shortly after 1:30 p.m., according to the FDNY.
Upon arrival, firefighters were met with an intense fire emanating from the ground floor, which is occupied by commercial spaces, as detailed by FDNY Chief of Fire Operations Kevin Woods during a press briefing Tuesday evening.
The fire rapidly surged up the staircase, igniting each level of the building in quick succession. This urgency necessitated a vigorous effort from firefighters to quell the blaze on the initial four floors.
However, once the team reached the upper levels, they encountered structural instability, prompting a strategic withdrawal to tackle the fire from an external vantage point, as explained by fire officials.
Ladder companies swiftly intervened to save residents trapped both at the front and rear of the building—among them, an individual stuck at a window with no escape route and several others stranded on a fire escape in the building’s facade.
Two unidentified individuals were killed in the massive fire, the FDNY said.
Two other people were brought to local hospitals with serious injuries, and five firefighters and four civilians suffered minor injuries, according to authorities.
There was “heavy, heavy damage” to the building, Woods said, adding that the building’s roof and stairwell had collapsed during the raging inferno.
Woods said the building was not fireproofed and was “very challenging due to the amount of voids in this building, which is over one hundred years old.”
“Today, the Bronx faces yet another fire that has rose to a five-alarm. Twenty-six residential units here in this building on East 187th Street,” Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson told reporters.
“And unfortunately, we lost two of our neighbors. Our hearts go out to those families and loved ones of the two victims in this fire.”
Gibson also commended the work of the city’s first responders, adding that without their “heroic efforts” there could have been more fatalities.
Residents affected by the fire are being encouraged to seek help at a reception center at Dodge High School.
Engineers plan to evaluate the building’s structural stability as it remains at risk of further collapse.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
