A four-alarm fire tore through the upper floors of a Bronx high-rise early Saturday morning, killing at least one person and injuring more than a dozen others, city officials said.
The blaze broke out just after midnight at a 17-story NYCHA apartment building, located at 3485 Bivona St. in the Bronx, after fire crews responded to reports of the smell of gas, officials said. Within 15 minutes of their arrival, an explosion occurred, igniting a blaze across multiple floors.
Flames spread through several apartments on the 15th, 16th and 17th floors, officials said, drawing 74 fire units with 231 firefighters and emergency personnel to the scene.
Fire officials reported a total of 15 people were injured: One person was pronounced dead at the scene, while another was taken in critical condition to Jacobi Medical Center.
Eleven people suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to area hospitals, and another refused medical treatment. One firefighter sustained a non-life-threatening injury and was also taken to Jacobi, according to the fire department.
The fire was contained by approximately 4:50 a.m. according to the FDNY.
“ It's an incredible tragedy,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg. “We're sending all our thoughts to the families involved.”
Roughly 150 apartments in the building were evacuated as a precaution, she said. The American Red Cross was on the scene assisting residents.
Officials had opened a reception center at nearby Cornerstone Academy to help connect residents with shelter and services as New York experienced a dangerously cold night ahead of a winter storm that is expected to blanket the city in snow.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Saturday morning on X that he was at the center with families as officials worked to support displaced residents.
“My heart is with everyone affected, and I’m deeply grateful to our first responders,” he wrote. “We’ll keep New Yorkers updated.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, though Bozorg confirmed the building had been undergoing renovations “to fix units and fix the building systems for residents.” However, she said it was her understanding the gas work had been completed and signed off on.
“There’s facade work happening as well, but we’ll learn more as we investigate,” she added.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
