Photo: Kidfly182 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
NEW YORK – All 54 apartments in the six-story Hamilton Heights building where a fire killed an 80-year-old man early Monday were evacuated, and several units are too damaged to be lived in again, FDNY officials said. The fire at 660 Riverside Drive spread from a third-floor apartment to two neighboring apartments and damaged the building’s staircase. The cause is under investigation. This is an update to our earlier report.
FDNY Deputy Chief Stephen Sullivan said firefighters found heavy clutter in the apartment where the fire started, “from waist high up to shoulder high in some spots.” The fire began shortly before 1:30 a.m. and went to two alarms, with more than 140 fire and EMS personnel responding.
Four people were hurt. A 52-year-old woman was taken to a hospital with smoke inhalation, and firefighters said she is stable. A second resident had minor injuries and declined treatment, and two firefighters had minor injuries. The Red Cross is helping displaced residents find temporary housing, and the Department of Buildings is checking the building’s structure. Sullivan said some residents should be able to return to their apartments.
Why it matters: dozens of households are displaced, and how soon they can go home depends on the building inspection. Still unknown: what caused the fire, how many apartments are unlivable, and when the first residents can return.
Archival photo: an FDNY engine in Brooklyn in 2021. It is not from this fire.
JBizNews Desk | New York
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