A State Supreme Court jury voted on Monday to award $183 million in damages to five NYC firefighters who helped fight a deadly apartment fire in the Bronx in January 2005, on what would later be dubbed 'Black Sunday'—the deadliest day in FDNY history since September 11, 2001. Firefighter John Bellew and Lieutenant Curtis Meyran jumped to their deaths from the Bronx blaze at 236 East 178th Street in Morris Heights. Four others were hospitalized with numerous broken bones after jumping from the apartment. One of the four, Joseph DiBernardo, died six years later. His heels and feet were crushed in the fall.

The three-alarm fire drew 150 firefighters on a morning that was cold and snowy. The FDNY said at the time that the fire was likely started by an extension cord on the third floor that sparked a mattress.

The NY Times reports that $140 million will be paid out by the city, which had failed to provide firefighters with escape ropes to safely exit the burning building. The News reports that the ropes had been standard issue until 2000, and have been reissued since Black Sunday. An internal FDNY investigation also determined that frozen hydrants and faulty hoses may have contributed to the deaths. The remainder of the damages will be paid out by one of the building's former owners, 234 East 178th Street L.L.C. In the case of the deceased, payouts will be distributed to the families.

The building's former owner and two tenants were indicted in 2006, and charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and reckless endangerment. Investigators found that third floor tenant Rafael Castillo had built illegal partitions in his apartment, turning a three-bedroom into a five-bedroom with rental units. Fourth-floor tenant Caridad Coste had also built illegal partitions. The building's former owner was apparently aware of the illegal partitions, made of a cheap material that investigators believe accelerated the flames.

But the tenants were acquitted in 2009—their attorneys made the case that the FDNY was primarily to blame for faulty hoses and the lack of escape ropes—and a conviction against the building manager was overturned by a Bronx judge in 2010.

A spokesperson for the city's Law Department said in a statement that the decision places too much blame on the FDNY. "We believe that the jury’s verdict does not fairly apportion liability in view of compelling evidence that established that the landlord’s numerous building code violations were directly responsible for this horrible event,” he said.