A large, four-alarm fireplace tore by way of a Bronx residence constructing on Wednesday night time, displacing dozens of residents who have been compelled to go away behind their belongings and don’t know when they may be capable of return.
The blaze began round 6:19 p.m. in a constructing on Heath Ave. close to W. 230th St., FDNY officers mentioned. In whole, 39 residents have been displaced. Two firefighters sustained minor accidents whereas bringing the fireplace beneath management, in line with FDNY.
As smoke eaters went door to door checking to make sure all of the residents had exited safely, they made an unsettling discovery — a secret drug lab in an residence on the third ground, sources mentioned.
The obvious drug lab isn’t associated to the fireplace, which began on the fourth ground, in line with FDNY officers.
Jocelina Molina, 52, returned dwelling from work to her fourth-floor residence Wednesday night solely to must evacuate minutes later.
“Like 15 minutes after I got home, my neighbor — she lives across [from] my apartment — she came out with the baby, and she said to me that she called 911, the firefighters were coming,” Molina mentioned. “She was telling me, like, what happened is that through the bulbs, through the light, there was smoke coming out. So also she said in through the walls, too, like in the ceiling, there was a lot of smoke coming out,” she added.
The scene of a 4-alarm fireplace on Heath Ave. close to W. 230th St. within the Bronx on Jan. 15, 2024. (Julian Roberts-Grmela)
Molina, her husband and kids watched firefighters break by way of their residence through their safety cameras. Though they didn’t see many flames attain their residence, the home windows have been destroyed, Molina mentioned.
They and the opposite fire-displaced residents have been put up by the Purple Cross in a lodge for the final two nights. On Friday residents have been nonetheless not sure after they would be capable of return dwelling.
“They don’t allow us to go inside because they say that it’s not safe, and [the] roof can fall, you know. And we’re here waiting,” Molina mentioned. “Wednesday night we slept in a hotel. Last night, too. And now, today, we are figuring out, like, where we’re gonna sleep today, too. So it’s difficult. The only thing that I could, like, grab was my coat and my phone, and that’s it, you know. But we have, you know, friends and family that have helped us, and we are grateful we are alive.”
Molina and her household mentioned that the constructing has a historical past {of electrical} points that they consider to be supply of the fireplace, a declare echoed by the constructing’s superintendent.
The reason for the fireplace remains to be being investigated.
Initially Printed: January 17, 2025 at 6:22 PM EST
