Bronx fire burning for several hours as crews face cold, windy conditions
NEW YORK -- A five-alarm fire is burning in the Bronx, and firefighters have been on the scene for several hours.
At least seven people are injured, and officials say the cold and windy conditions are making it more difficult to put out the stubborn flames.
"Thank god no life-threatening injuries," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on the scene. "This was a massive fire, and the wind played a major role in the conditions that we are facing."
"It's been a very long and cold morning here in the Bronx," FDNY Commissioner Ben Tucker added. "This was a very, very large fire, wind-driven, as the mayor said. Very difficult fire for our firefighters to fight under conditions that caused us to have to have lots of relief."
Firefighters responded around 1:45 a.m. to a building on Wallace Avenue in the Allerton section of the borough. Once crews arrived, they determined the fire was coming from the upper level of the building. In just under an hour, it quickly grew to five alarms.
Crews have been working to get the intense flames and smoke under control, but officials said the roof and all apartments on the top floor were destroyed.
Five firefighters and two residents suffered injuries, and five of them were taken to area hospitals for treatment, according to the FDNY.
Watch video from Chopper 2 over the scene as firefighters continue to battle the blaze.
Residents suspect Bronx fire was started by space heater
The city's Office of Emergency Management is telling residents to go to P.S. 76 The Bennington School on Adee Avenue, where they can meet with members of the Red Cross for assistance. So far, the Red Cross says at least 164 people have been displaced from 61 households.
Some residents told CBS News New York's Elijah Westbrook the building has been without heat for a while, and they have to use space heaters to stay warm.
"There's no heat always, all the time," one woman said. "For years."
"I called today and I spoke to them at the office, and they hung up on me. So you know what I do? I called 311, and they gave me a confirmation number," another woman added.
Other residents described how they escaped overnight into the bitter cold outside.
"We were sleeping, me and my wife, and we smelled some type of smoke, fire. We didn't know that it was this big until the fire department started breaking the doors and knocking the doors down, and that's when we discovered that it was pretty big," one man said.
"I was going to go in to bed, then I saw the trucks and I said, 'Uh oh, this don't look good,'" another man added. "Then, sure enough, I said let me get some stuff together and get out of here."
The FDNY says about 250 fire and EMS personnel are helping in the effort. Once the fire is extinguished, they will start to figure out what sparked the blaze.
Stick with CBS News New York for the latest updates on this developing story.
