A five-alarm fire at a Bronx apartment building Wednesday afternoon left one person dead and 14 others injured, according to the FDNY.
Firefighters responded to reports of an explosion just before 12:30 p.m. at 374 East 209th St. in Norwood.
The blaze grew quickly, reaching a fifth alarm by 1:45 p.m. and drawing more than 300 firefighters and emergency service personnel to the scene. A video posted by FDNY on social media showed flames in the building and thick smoke billowing from the windows.
At a Wednesday press conference, Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore called the blaze a “very difficult fire on a very hot and humid day.” Multiple people were rescued out of the building, she said.
Chief of Department John Esposito said what he described as "some sort of explosion" blew apartment doors off their hinges, blew out window frames and sent debris across the street, making it difficult to confine the fire. He described it as a ”very unusual and extremely dangerous position for our firefighters, as we now have many members above that fire, conducting searches to make sure that all the people are out of the building.”
One person was found dead inside the building, according to the FDNY. Two civilians suffered life-threatening injuries, two others suffered serious injuries and four had minor injuries. Six firefighters were also injured — three seriously and three with minor injuries.
The fire spread to three floors before firefighters were withdrawn after part of the third floor collapsed, Esposito said.
There are a total of 27 apartments in the building and at least 18 residents have been displaced, according to authorities. The city has opened a nearby school as a reception center for those who need assistance.
Authorities were encouraging nearby residents to avoid the smoke and close their windows.
The cause of the reported explosion and fire was not immediately clear and remains under investigation.
The FDNY said they got the fire under control around 8 p.m. but that crews remained at the scene overnight.
This story has been updated with new information.
