1 person killed and 17 injured in Harlem fire: FDNY
Feb. 23, 2024, 4:36 p.m.
The two-alarm blaze started on the third floor of a six-story building near St. Nicholas Place and West 149th Street.
One person was killed and 17 others were injured in an apartment building fire in Harlem on Friday, according to FDNY officials.
Officials said the two-alarm blaze broke out around 2:15 p.m. in a six-story building near St. Nicholas Place and West 149th Street. Fire marshals said on Saturday that fire was caused by a lithium-ion battery, and confirmed that it had been 2024's first battery-related fire death.
FDNY Chief John Hodgens said the fire started in a third-floor apartment and was so intense that it trapped people on the upper floors.
“One of the victims basically had to jump out of the window,” he said at a press conference at the scene. “They were in the alley on the side of the building when we arrived.”
When lives are on the line, @FDNY and the @NYPDSpecialops Aviation Unit work to coordinate rescue efforts. At this afternoon's fire in Harlem, pilots from the aviation unit helped direct firefighters to victims dangling from windows as firefighters made daring rope rescues. pic.twitter.com/TFeV6rvbFz
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) February 23, 2024
Three people were found unconscious on the upper floors, Hodgens added, and firefighters had to perform rope rescues from the roof to get people out of the building.
“I told them not to jump and that I was coming down to rescue them,” Probationary Firefighter Jason Lopez recounted. “This is the same drill we work on every Monday.”
FDNY EMS Chief Michael Fields said 12 people were taken to area hospitals and five had critical injuries. One of them died at the hospital, he said.
This post has been updated with new information.
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