By Carol Tannenhauser
A 72-year-old woman died in a fire on Wednesday night at around 10 p.m., inside an apartment building at 845 Columbus Avenue (101st-102nd), within the Frederick Douglass Houses development, police reported.
FDNY personnel also responded to extinguish the fire, located on the third floor of the building. [The woman] was discovered inside the location, unconscious and unresponsive. EMS responded and pronounced her deceased at the scene. The cause of the fire is to be determined by the NYC Fire Marshal. The investigation remains ongoing. The identity of the deceased is pending proper family notification.
Could WSR please look into why we’re having so many more fires lately? Maybe it’s just that everything bad seems in multitude this year, but it feels like every 2-3 days there’s some horrible fire in the city. I’m also seeing a lot more fire trucks on the street. Is it because people are staying home more? Because we still have so many empty spaces? Are there actually more fires than there used to be, thanks?
For decades now FDNY responds to more than just fires. Merely seeing fire trucks out with sirens does not indicate necessarily they are responding to a fire, but rather to an emergency city put under their scope of operation.
https://www.pix11.com/news/coronavirus/fdny-ems-responds-to-over-5-902-medical-calls-in-one-day-urges-ny-to-use-911-for-emergencies-only
https://www.gothamgazette.com/opinion/8824-racing-to-the-scene-of-the-wrong-emergency
“Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro today announced the city had 63 civilian fire deaths in 2020, 5% fewer deaths than in 2019, when 66 people lost their lives in fires. This marks the fifteenth consecutive year there have been fewer than 100 fire-related deaths, continuing an unprecedented period in New York City history.”
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/fdny/news/fa0121/fire-commissioner-nigro-5-decrease-fire-deaths-2020#:~:text=Nigro%20today%20announced%20the%20city,in%20New%20York%20City%20history.
Sad to hear this. There have certainly been more tragic apartment fires this winter than I can recall. My guess is because so many people are sheltering in place due to the virus as well as the brutal winter weather. Also there is no where to go in NYC if your elderly, without feeling very safe due to virus and violence. Another reason to move out if you ask me.
@Ron,
To move out? Why? Where to? “No matter where one goes, the dark horse of care accompanies you.”* Covid is everywhere, though gradually easing its grip on us. We cannot flee from a pandemic – we stay, we protect ourselves and our loved ones the best we can, and we don’t let our guard down for even one moment.
*Aristotle
So sad! If you are able, try – safely and masked and distanced- to check on your older neighbors, especially in this cold weather.
Condolences to her family.