Photo by Robert.
A 3-alarm fire at 241 West 101st Street near Broadway on Thursday afternoon resulted in at least seven injuries, according to FDNY.
The fire was called in at 3:58 p.m. on the fifth floor of the building, and spread to the 6th and 7th floors. A total of 33 units were called to the scene, with 138 firefighters and EMS personnel responding.
Photo by Michael.
Five civilians and two firefighters were injured in the blaze, though none of the injuries were considered life-threatening, according to an FDNY spokesperson. Two people were taken to Mt. Sinai Morningside Hospital.
“There was a considerable amount of damage from fire, smoke and water,” the spokesman said.
The fire was declared under control at 5:24 p.m., but personnel were still active on the scene. The number of injuries may rise, the spokesman said.
What a disaster, bw bway & west end pic.twitter.com/zMyxqFnz1o
— Shruggersaurus Rex (@Renois) May 7, 2020
Heard choppers and saw a couple from ABC and NBC on the tracker.
Oh dear, I assume a number of families will be displaced because of this. The fire adds insult to injury; coping with Co-vid 19 was burden enough. My heart goes out to them.
Is there a way to help those families? Please keep us posted.
I was a tenant on the 6th floor that was affected by the fire, could use any suggestions or shelter help
Yes please keep us up to date. Would like to help get them back on their feet. GoFundMe or any donations they need
This building is owned and managed by NYCHA containing 40 apartments and is over 110 years old. A little more than a block away, there was a fire at 890 Amsterdam Ave on April 11. The building next door had a major fire in the past year.
Old buildings on the UWS are not safe and require a massive FDNY response. The fire at Second Ave and Seventh St almost five years ago is an example of what can go wrong in an old building. The fire spread into surrounding buildings. Residents in twelve nearby buildings were displaced for days after the fire.
It took 250 firefighters and many additional EMS personnel. In addition to five tower ladder trucks, water was poured from surrounding rooftops to battle the blaze. Countless amounts of water had to be gotten from as far as 14th street seven blocks away to fight the fire. Traffic had to be stopped affecting neighborhoods ten blocks away. Smoke and toxins from the fire lasted for many hours. The FDNY had to demolish one of the buildings affected by the fire.
Many of the buildings surrounding 241 W 101 are over 100 years old and could have been affected if the fire spread to them. Tenants at 241 were trapped in apartments and fire escapes waiting for FDNY to rescue them. Tenants and firefighters were injured. Now these tenants need to be relocated into scarce affordable housing. NYCHA may not have a place or resources to help them.
In a new building the fire would have been easily contained minimizing damage. Tenants would have had a protected fire stair and places of refuge for escape. First responders would also be protected from potential building collapse.
We need new buildings built on the UWS that are safe and up to date for the needs of all residents.
You’re not wrong about the need for new buildings, but you can’t build them without tearing down the old ones and it’s near impossible to get tenants out of them and with the recent genius change Albany made to the rent control laws there is zero incentive to landlords to improve the old buildings.
Qua? How about installing sprinkler systems?
The real estate industry is very creative. The new laws block raises in rents due to major capital improvements. Evictions due to non payment of rent will still happen. Tenants will die of old age. Buildings will be damaged beyond repair due to disasters. Tenant buy outs are still possible. Owners will go bankrupt. Air rights transfers allow amplified use of individual properties. Vacating of buildings will take time. So far there have been no obvious innovations due to the new laws. The economic crisis spurred by the pandemic may trigger some new approaches.
As have noted several times previously many of these NYCHA, SRO and other low income housing on UWS began life as residential or transient hotels.
The “The Ackerly” apartments at 241-243 West 101st street is another example.
Built in 1901 as a grand and respectable residential hotel with huge apartments (two per floor), it soon fell upon hard times.
The Great Depression started the downward trend as fashionable families who still had money preferred UES or CPW buildings. Decade after decade things only went further downhill in terms of tenancy. By 1962 the city via NYCHA condemned the building to be rehabbed and used for public housing.
https://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-1901-ackerly-apartments-241-243.html
People complain that UWS has more than its fair share of low income/SRO/homeless housing. My counter argument remains same; it is because tons of former SRO and transient hotels are located on UWS that made it easy for this to happen.
Will this building’s repair be hampered by its status as NYCHA and in a historic district?
https://westendpreservation.org/riverside-west-end-avenue-historic-district-ii/
Call the American Red Cross 24/7 emergency number if you were temporarily or permanently displaced due to the fire. They can provide emotional and or financial assistance. Call (212) 875-2102, mention the fire address and explain your situation
https://www.gofundme.com/f/manhattan-upper-westside-fire-fund/donate This is a GoFundMe for one of the families involved- dad, toddler & expecting mother.
There are gofundme pages set up for many people – including this family that lost nearly everything they owned – this happened on the Mom’s birthday too. Read her story and if you can find it in your heart to donate even a few dollars they would be every grateful.
gf.me/u/x2ns25
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-deirdre-and-her-family?utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&rcid=6aaf89e15a5d43ee96d00213efc07dd3