4 injured in 4-alarm fire at Bronx apartment building
NEW YORK -- Over 200 fire and EMS workers responded to a fire in the Wakefield section of the Bronx on Thursday.
The FDNY says they were on the scene within six minutes of receiving the 911 call, but the fire spread quickly, and some residents say they had no idea their building was on fire.
Smoke and flames could be seen for miles.
"When I started to walk out the building, a window busted and almost hit me," one boy said.
It was a scary evening for residents inside the Carpenter Avenue building.
Fire officials say the blaze started on the fifth floor and extended to the area between the top floor and the roof.
Loveline Binwin was home with her four children and had to rush out.
"They were terrified because they were sleeping. Four-year-old, they were asking me, 'Mama, what is it?' I said, 'Just go, there's fire,'" she said.
She's frustrated, saying they didn't hear a fire alarm, but officials say in older residential buildings, tenants won't hear an alarm unless their apartment is directly impacted.
"It's required that you have smoke detectors within your apartment, but it's not required that you have common smoke detectors throughout the building," FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens said.
Fire officials initially told residents to stay inside.
"Next thing we know, all the water started coming down. My wall started breaking, like, cracking. All the water started coming in from the lightbulbs everywhere. The windows started breaking," resident Alisha Lovett said.
Lovett ran out, as did a resident named Carlos, who says he initially saw fire inside the light fixture in his bathroom.
"There's a flame inside of the walls. And then I used my fire extinguisher to turn it off, but the flame was extending," he said.
It took over his apartment, and he says he lost everything.
"I just want to go home, and my home is gone. I have no home no more," he said.
Residents in 54 units of the 104-unit building have been displaced. The Office of Emergency Management and Red Cross are offering emergency shelter for those who need it.
While there was a lot of damage to the building, thankfully, there were no fatalities.
Three firefighters and one resident suffered minor injuries. They are expected to be OK.
Red Cross providing assistance
The Red Cross is providing assistance to Bronx residents displaced by Thursday's fire.
The fire started Thursday afternoon and spread quickly through a low-rise apartment building on Carpenter Avenue in the Wakefield section. Nearly 100 people registered with the Red Cross are now getting emergency lodging and financial assistance.
Three firefighters were among four people who suffered minor injuries.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
3 firefighters among 4 hurt in Bronx apartment building fire
At least four people were hurt, including three firefighters, after a fire ripped through a Bronx apartment building Thursday.
It started just after 4 p.m. on Carpenter Avenue in the Wakefield section.
Video shows massive flames and smoke pouring out of the roof.
Investigators say the fire spread quickly to a neighboring building, potentially impacting 104 apartments.
"We have Red Cross and [Office of Emergency Management] on the scene assisting with finding shelter for any displaced residents," FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens said.
Of the three firefighters hurt, one was treated for smoke inhalation.
One resident was also treated for smoke inhalation.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Bronx apartment building resident describes spotting flames in ceiling
CBS2's Alecia Reid spoke to a tenant who said he became aware of flames in the ceiling after the lights in his apartment went out.
"I was about to leave to go to the supermarket, and then ... some of the lights in my apartment turned off, so I went to my fuse box to switch it back on, like normal, and some of the fuses wasn't turning on or whatever. So I called my super. He told me to send him a picture. I sent him a picture. He came upstairs. He went into the bathroom, and we looked up into the bathroom light and there was a glare. I thought it was my candle that I had lit, but it wasn't a candle. I turned off the candle and the glare was still there. We opened the light for the ... ceiling or whatever in the bathroom, and there's a flame inside of the walls. And then I used my fire extinguisher to turn it off, but the flame was extending. And then the fire department came and they broke down the bathroom, and it extended to my living room and it extended to my bedroom," one tenant said.
At least 1 injured in fire
The FDNY says at least one person was injured in Thursday's fire.
That person was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
FDNY members are currently operating at a 4-alarm fire at 4055 Carpenter Avenue in the Bronx. Operations are ongoing. pic.twitter.com/DP7QL6YIod
— FDNY (@FDNY) January 26, 2023
Officials say the four-alarm fire started on the fifth floor of the building and extended into the cockloft.
Over 200 fire and EMS members responded to the scene.
FDNY members continue to operate at a 4-alarm fire at 4055 Carpenter Avenue in the Bronx. Operations are ongoing. pic.twitter.com/nILaoQqWfy
— FDNY (@FDNY) January 26, 2023
The FDNY said just before 7 p.m. that the main body of the fire had been knocked down and fire operations were de-escalating.
NYC Office of Emergency Management offers details
.@FDNYAlerts Three Alarm Fire: Carpenter Avenue & E 229th Street, The Bronx. Expect smoke & traffic delays in area. People nearby avoid smoke, close windows. Multilingual & ASL Link: https://t.co/PosXqPHI8X.
— NYCEM - Notify NYC (@NotifyNYC) January 26, 2023