Three people died, and 11 people were injured in a fast-moving Inwood fire during the early hours of Monday morning, FDNY officials said.
FDNY
Three people died, and 11 people were injured in a fast-moving Manhattan three-alarm fire early on Monday morning, FDNY officials said.
According to Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore, when first responders arrived at 207 Dyckman St. in Inwood at around 12:30 a.m. on May 4, residents inside were already trying to flee the six-story building via the fire escape.
“Our first arriving company arrived three minutes after the call, and arrived to find multiple people trying to escape via the fire escape,” Bonsignore said. “This fire was a very serious fire. It unfortunately resulted in many patients.”
While officials say they were able to rescue those trapped on the building’s exterior, they also say some could not be saved.
As the fire ravaged the building, it took the lives of three people and injured nearly a dozen others, including a firefighter.
“We ended up having a total of 14 patients, one of them being a firefighter, who is stable,” Assistant Chief of EMS Operations Cesar Escobar said. “We had three deceased. We had five critical patients transported to area hospitals, and we had four other non-life-threatening injuries.”
In addition to the injuries, some 100 people were left displaced, the FDNY said.
Open doors let fatal Manhattan fire spread
FDNY officials said the blaze emanated from the hallway on the first floor and swiftly traveled up the stairway where the flames and smoke reached some eight apartments. From there, the fire quickly spread in areas through open doors, prompting Bonsignore to issue a grave reminder to the public in the event of a fire: Always close the doors.
“The apartments that had the doors closed had very little impact to no fire. The apartments that had doors open had more impact. Close the door is an important message we need everybody to understand. I know it’s a scary situation in a fire. We’re not always thinking straight, but close the door,” Bonsignore said.
The fire was placed under control at approximately 3 a.m. on May 4. Fire marshals are now investigating the cause of the fatal blaze.
The identities of the deceased have not yet been released by police.
