A fire that started in a third-floor apartment at 515 West 59th Street injured at least 21 people, including a seven-year-old girl.
The girl was found on the 21st floor in cardiac arrest, and was rescued by firefighters. Four firefighters were injured in the blaze.
Big fire across from my building on W.60th St. @billritter7 @ABC7NY pic.twitter.com/sIVtCbU6by
— Harold Abrams (@haroldabrams) December 22, 2016
“It’s not clear what sparked the blaze inside a third-floor apartment at 515 West 59th St., near 10th Avenue, at about 5 p.m., but fire officials say the windows were left open and the heavy winds sent smoke into the hallways and up inside the building,” NBC News reported. “The 33-story building, which contains 465 apartments, is used as a residence building for Mt. Sinai Hospital, according to fire officials.”
Update: The FDNY says the fire appears to have been sparked by a candle or another open flame. “There was a smoke detector in the apartment, but it was not working, an FDNY spokesperson said.”
Some people raced to the roof to escape the fire. It was under control at about 7 p.m.
Video and video image by Harold Abrams.
Terrifying fire. I hope they all recover quickly. What an ordeal for all.
probably a candle…careless idiots with candles,never understood it
Never mind the candle, a fire could start on the stove, or there could be faulty electrical work as well. I’m more concerned about this: “There was a smoke detector in the apartment, but it was not working, an FDNY spokesperson said.” Every lease I’ve had has stated that I’m responsible for buying and maintaining my own smoke detectors, but I have a friend who lives in a condo where presumably the landlord is responsible. I don’t know if it’s a LAW, but considering how often this happens maybe if people were fined for not maintaining them then it might make a difference.
May be just another Rent Stabilization freebie, but we get smoke alarms installed by the Landlord.
There’s an update…
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Open-Flame-Candle-Caused-West-59-Street-High-Rise-Fire-FDNY-Manhattan-408036635.html
“A woman’s “careless use” of a candle sparked Thursday night’s fire inside a Manhattan high-rise building that hurt 23 people, including 17 civilians and four firefighters, one of whom suffered serious burns, the FDNY says.The woman was wrapping Christmas presents in her third-floor apartment at 515 West 59th St. when her bathrobe caught fire from candles she had lit, fire officials said Friday. ”
So this falls under the idiot with candles, not the idiot with a busted smoke detector.
Have you ever heard of accidents? It can happen to anyone who burns candles. It’s not like this person purposely lit themselves on fire with the intent of destroying their apartment and losing everything they have worked for their whole life. I’m sure this person is suffering enough with horrible pain from burns and feeling terrible about what happened. There is no need to call her an idiot! Accidents happen…that’s why they call them accidents!
No, apparently part of the current ethos is that you must be as cruel as possible all the time. Apparently, that is somehow more ethical and decent than being sympathetic, understanding that people (including the commenter) are imperfect, and that sometimes accidents happen.
There may be a number of reasons for this, but one, at least, is that it excuses everyone else from being generous, sympathetic, or helpful.