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FDNY Battles Deadly Chinatown Apartment Fire, Eight Firefighters Suffer Minor Injuries (w/Video)
By COLLEEN LONG
Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK -- An extension cord sparked a blaze that tore through an apartment building in Manhattan's Chinatown Tuesday, killing two people and sending others leaping from windows to escape the flames, the fire department said.
A 33-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man -- both pulled from the second-floor apartment where the blaze started -- died. At least 27 others were hurt, including eight firefighters and a woman who jumped from a third-floor window to the ground. Two others apparently jumped from the roof of the burning building to the roof next door.
The five-alarm blaze was so fierce it took 180 firefighters to bring it under control. It started in the back bedroom of a second-floor apartment and quickly spread through the building, causing part of the roof and several floors to collapse and leaving the building uninhabitable, fire officials said.
The building's owner had been issued a violation last month for unsafe electrical wiring, Department of Buildings spokeswoman Kate Lindquist said. The owner hadn't notified the agency about whether the violation had been corrected.
No telephone number could be found for the person listed in city records as the building's owner.
Fire Department Chief of Operations Patrick McNally said the blaze was difficult to control because the building was old, like many in Chinatown. Firefighters had to overcome fierce winds, which gusted up to 30 mph, and temperatures that dropped to 22 degrees overnight.
Three buildings in the neighborhood were evacuated as residents were pulled from their beds by emergency crews banging on doors.
"There was a terrible burning smell," said Ping Wong, who lives next door to the building that burned. "And they told us to get out. I was scared."
A woman in her 30s who lived on the fourth floor of the gutted building said she was awakened by her roommates.
"We could feel the heat coming from the floorboards below," said the woman, who wouldn't give her name because she was afraid of immigration enforcement.
"There was smoke everywhere. We couldn't see. ... There was a lot of screaming downstairs and commotion."
She and her two small children had to climb out a window and down a fire truck ladder to safety.
The Red Cross said 60 families fled the three buildings. It wasn't clear when residents would be able to return. Hundreds took shelter in a nearby community center, where many fell asleep sitting up. Twenty-six adults and six children who lived in the building that burned were eventually moved to Red Cross headquarters for temporary shelter.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg toured the scene in the afternoon, offering condolences to displaced residents and thanking firefighters for their work.
A critically injured man initially taken to New York Downtown Hospital was then moved to the burn unit at Weill Cornell Medical Center, spokeswoman Kathleen O'Keefe said. Details on the other injured were not immediately available.
Officials didn't immediately know whether any of the apartments in the building had been subdivided with illegal partitions, a common living arrangement in immigrant neighborhoods. Estimates of the number of people who lived in the building varied, and it was possible that some were living in illegally built rooms.
The building is on a quiet residential street near the Manhattan Bridge in the heart of Chinatown, not far from the neighborhood's main artery, Canal Street, where vendors hawk everything from knockoff handbags to live frogs and bootleg DVDs.
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Associated Press writers Karen Matthews, Amy Westfeldt and Ted Shaffrey contributed to this report.
Related: WABC Photo SlideShow
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK -- An extension cord sparked a blaze that tore through an apartment building in Manhattan's Chinatown Tuesday, killing two people and sending others leaping from windows to escape the flames, the fire department said.
A 33-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man -- both pulled from the second-floor apartment where the blaze started -- died. At least 27 others were hurt, including eight firefighters and a woman who jumped from a third-floor window to the ground. Two others apparently jumped from the roof of the burning building to the roof next door.
The five-alarm blaze was so fierce it took 180 firefighters to bring it under control. It started in the back bedroom of a second-floor apartment and quickly spread through the building, causing part of the roof and several floors to collapse and leaving the building uninhabitable, fire officials said.
The building's owner had been issued a violation last month for unsafe electrical wiring, Department of Buildings spokeswoman Kate Lindquist said. The owner hadn't notified the agency about whether the violation had been corrected.
No telephone number could be found for the person listed in city records as the building's owner.
Fire Department Chief of Operations Patrick McNally said the blaze was difficult to control because the building was old, like many in Chinatown. Firefighters had to overcome fierce winds, which gusted up to 30 mph, and temperatures that dropped to 22 degrees overnight.
Three buildings in the neighborhood were evacuated as residents were pulled from their beds by emergency crews banging on doors.
"There was a terrible burning smell," said Ping Wong, who lives next door to the building that burned. "And they told us to get out. I was scared."
A woman in her 30s who lived on the fourth floor of the gutted building said she was awakened by her roommates.
"We could feel the heat coming from the floorboards below," said the woman, who wouldn't give her name because she was afraid of immigration enforcement.
"There was smoke everywhere. We couldn't see. ... There was a lot of screaming downstairs and commotion."
She and her two small children had to climb out a window and down a fire truck ladder to safety.
The Red Cross said 60 families fled the three buildings. It wasn't clear when residents would be able to return. Hundreds took shelter in a nearby community center, where many fell asleep sitting up. Twenty-six adults and six children who lived in the building that burned were eventually moved to Red Cross headquarters for temporary shelter.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg toured the scene in the afternoon, offering condolences to displaced residents and thanking firefighters for their work.
A critically injured man initially taken to New York Downtown Hospital was then moved to the burn unit at Weill Cornell Medical Center, spokeswoman Kathleen O'Keefe said. Details on the other injured were not immediately available.
Officials didn't immediately know whether any of the apartments in the building had been subdivided with illegal partitions, a common living arrangement in immigrant neighborhoods. Estimates of the number of people who lived in the building varied, and it was possible that some were living in illegally built rooms.
The building is on a quiet residential street near the Manhattan Bridge in the heart of Chinatown, not far from the neighborhood's main artery, Canal Street, where vendors hawk everything from knockoff handbags to live frogs and bootleg DVDs.
___
Associated Press writers Karen Matthews, Amy Westfeldt and Ted Shaffrey contributed to this report.
Related: WABC Photo SlideShow
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by SHONDA on
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Wishing a speedy recovery to my Brothers! And prayers to the families of the lost and injured.
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Permalink Reply by Edgar Branco on
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Stay strong my brothers and fast recovery
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Permalink Reply by John Metallo on
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Speedy recovery to the brothers that were hurt in this fire!!! It is really time to take a serious look at residential fire sprinklers both in NYC and the rest of the state. This could have very easily happened in Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, Troy and so on. Unfortunately a lot of these departments don't have a minimum staffing level to the degree the FDNY has and many times that is not enough!! Great Job Guys!!!! Lawmakers lets pass some bills and adopt codes that will keep the states bravest safe!!!!
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Permalink Reply by John Rulli Jr. on
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My prayers go out to all who suffered in this fire. Wish a speedy recovery of the eight brothers that were injured!
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Permalink Reply by Nathan Whoric on
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goodluck guys get well soon!!! great job in saving all those people
stay safe brothers/sisters
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Permalink Reply by Kirk D. Baughman on
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this is sad news to hear. i will keep everyone in my prays.
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Permalink Reply by Clayton Juhl on
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My prayers go out to the injured, and to the friends and family of those that were lost.
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Permalink Reply by virgilio chan fernandez on
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I'm 75% Chinese but i have to say: BAN or CHECK VERY WELL imported goods (Electricals,Electronics,Food,Drinks,Etc.) because for one, CHINA is mostly producing SUBSTANDARD Products for the Consumption of the Whole World.
We can not bargain HUMAN LIFE and Properties for Cheap goods and High Income.
Also, maybe we should check thoroughly the Residential and Commercial Buildings and Homes Everywhere,for the Proper Safety and Precautions. Always remember: Prevention is better than Control.
Condolences and Prayers to the family of the victim. And Prayers for Recovery for the injured people and our Brothers in service.
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Permalink Reply by Muriel on
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Wow all this from an extension cord...and the landlord had received a violation for unsafe electrical wiring ...a month ago and now look ppl have been hurt and 2 have died because of his negligence...sad!
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Permalink Reply by Josh Sullivan on
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prayer go out to all that are hurt in the fire, we have 2, big 4 story hotels going up all wood frame work and those are what worry me in my area.
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