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Bronx apartment building fire reignites
An enormous fire ripped through an apartment building in the Bronx early Friday, injuring firefighters and displacing dozens. FOX 5 NY's Meredith Gorman has the latest.
THE BRONX - An enormous fire ripped through an apartment building in the Bronx early Friday, injuring firefighters and displacing dozens.
Seven people were injured, including five firefighters, after the early-morning blaze ripped through the 200-foot wide apartment building. The fire briefly reignited around noon as wind gusts aggravated conditions.
Fire in the Bronx: What happened
What we know:
The 5-alarm fire began on the top floor of the Wallace Avenue apartment building around 2 a.m. in the Allerton section.
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NYC apartment building fire leaves several injured
Several people were injured, including multiple firefighters, after an early-morning fire ripped through an apartment building in the Bronx, the FDNY said. FOX 5 NY's Hayley Fixler has the details.
According to the FDNY, five people were transported to hospitals. One civilian was treated on scene, but refused transport. People impacted by the fire were taken to a nearby elementary school.
With wind gusts reaching up to 45 mph in the Bronx Thursday, the 200-plus emergency responders struggled to put out the "extremely dangerous" flames.
The fire appeared to originate from the top floor, in a location on the underside of the roof called the cockloft, according to the
The fire destroyed all the apartments on the top floor of the building and its roof.
At least 66 families, about 180 people, were displaced and are sheltering at the Bennington School on Adee Avenue, said Zachary Iscol, the NYC Emergency Management commissioner. The number is expected to increase.
What they're saying:
FDNY Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker said it was a "miracle" that more people weren't injured.
"This was a very, very large fire… wind-driven. Very difficult for our firefighters to fight." he said during a Friday morning press conference.
A man who lives in the building next door described what he saw.
"Then it spread," he said. "The wind blew it to the next building, and then it went down to the next floor, and it's sad because I've been in this community for so many years and I have not seen this happen around here before."
What we don't know:
The cause of the fire was unknown at the time. It is also unknown exactly how many people will be displaced and if they will be able to return to their homes.