By Thomas Tracy
New York Daily News
NEW YORK — One person has died and more than a dozen others, including a firefighter, were hospitalized after a massive fire, prompted by a gas explosion, tore through the top of a Bronx high-rise early Saturday, officials said.
The four-alarm fire broke out on Bivona Street near Reeds Mill Lane in the Baychester neighborhood of the Bronx just before 12:15 a.m.
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The New York City Fire Department was investigating a smell of gas on the 15th and 16th floors of the building, which is part of Boston Secor Houses, when “an explosion occurred,” said FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito.
“We had severe structural damage in six apartments on each floor. We eventually had fire in five apartments on the 16th floor and five apartments on the 17th floor,” Esposito said. “It was a very, very dangerous operation for our firefighters, who performed incredibly on those upper floors, searching and protecting civilian life.”
Photos and video taken at the scene showed heavy flames shooting out of bay windows on the upper floors.
One tenant died on the scene as firefighters doused the flames. A second tenant was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center with critical injuries.
The name of the person who died was not released as investigators track down their family.
Eleven other tenants and a firefighter were also taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, the FDNY said. Another injured tenant refused medical attention.
Early radio reports stated the top of the building had been “blown off” and that people were trapped in their burning apartments.
More than 230 firefighters and EMS personnel raced to the scene to put out the massive blaze and care for the injured. The fire was brought under control just before 5 a.m.
Multiple city agencies and the Red Cross were on the scene to care for civilians left outside in the frigid 10-degree weather, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
“I am with families at a nearby reception center, and we are working with the Red Cross to support displaced residents,” Mamdani wrote on X. “The fire is under control, but searches, inspections and utility restoration are ongoing.”
“My heart is with everyone affected, and I’m deeply grateful to our first responders,” the mayor said.
By 6:30 a.m., the Red Cross had cared for 56 households displaced from the fire. A total of 175 people, including 57 children, were asking for emergency assistance at a reception area on Reeds Mill Lane.
FDNY Fire Marshals are trying to determine what sparked the explosion and fire, Esposito said.
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