Deadly Inwood apartment fire kills 3, displaces more than 100 residents

Three people were killed and 14 others injured when a fire tore through a six-story apartment building at 207 Dyckman Street in Inwood, leaving more than 100 residents suddenly displaced and forcing investigators to examine whether the building’s safety features failed when they were needed most.

The FDNY received the call at 12:35 a.m. Monday and said crews arrived within about three minutes, finding fire on the first floor. Other reports said the blaze may have started on the second floor, but all agreed it spread fast through the building and up to the roof. PIX11 reported the structure had only one stairway, and fire officials said it was being consumed from the first floor to the top.

ABC7 reported 14 injuries, including five people in critical condition, among them several children, and one firefighter hurt. NBC New York reported five victims were in severe condition, four had moderate-to-minor injuries, and a firefighter suffered minor injuries. The American Red Cross was helping more than 100 displaced residents, many of whom were left searching for shelter, medicine, documents and other basic needs after the overnight evacuation.

The building’s layout and fire protection systems are now likely to draw close scrutiny. Local outlets reported that open apartment doors may have allowed smoke and flames to race through the hallways, a danger the FDNY had warned about in a public-service announcement released on April 24 after another deadly Bronx fire. That message, “CLOSE THE DOOR!,” said a closed door can isolate fire and keep smoke, heat and flames from spreading through common areas in multiple-dwelling buildings.

ABC7 also reported that the fire affected at least eight apartments, while Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Dina Levy said self-closing doors are required under the housing maintenance code. The Department of Buildings issued an emergency declaration to seal the premises in the interest of public safety, according to ABC7. The cause remains under investigation, and the identities of the three people who died had not been released in the local coverage reviewed.

For New York City, the fire is another reminder that the difference between a survivable apartment fire and a mass-casualty tragedy can turn on basic building conditions, working doors, clear egress and the speed of enforcement.