On March 7, at approximately 1518 HRS, the Staten Island Fire Communications office received numerous calls regarding a fully involved condo at 102 Hampton Place in the Rossville section of Staten Island, N.Y. The fire had started in the two-story, 20' x 40' condo and spread to exposures two and four.
Upon arrival, first-due FDNY units encountered a heavy fire condition. A 10-75 (working fire) for box 3732 was transmitted, followed by a second alarm (22-3732) 15 minutes later. The third alarm (33-3732) was transmitted at 1614 HRS
Due to the condo’s lightweight wood truss construction, a structural collapse occurred early in the fire, preventing an interior attack. FDNY units were backed out, and they fought the fire from exposures two, three and four.
At the height of the incident, five handlines and two tower ladders worked the fire; Chief James Esposito (Car 10-A) was the incident commander. Fourteen firefighters were injured battling the blaze. Firefighters brought the fire under control at 1748 HRS. Fire officials declared the fire suspicious (10-41-1) because of how quickly the fire spread.