By Daniel Katzive
A fire at the Yeshiva Ketana of Manhattan on Riverside Drive at 89th Street forced a quick evacuation of students and staff Wednesday afternoon. No injuries were reported.
According to the FDNY, the call was received at 2:44pm. Twelve units and 60 firefighters responded to what turned out to be a fire in the walls on the first floor of the building. The fire was reported under control at 3:40pm.
A parent of three children at the school, who was in the building volunteering at the time of the fire, said she just saw smoke. She praised school faculty and staff for evacuating all the children quickly and efficiently, adding that everyone was safely out of the building within minutes. The fire broke out just before dismissal time.
The Yeshiva occupies the Isaac L. Rice Mansion, a former residence built in the early years of the 20th century, located diagonally across Riverside Drive from the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. According to Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics web site, the private Jewish boys school had 120 students ranging from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade in the 2019-2020 school year.
I saw and heard a lot of fire trucks right around that time. Glad no one was hurt!
B”H no one was hurt!
The building could be refurbished into a gem. Currently , it’s an eyesore. Like a haunted house
This was so frightening when I got the citizen notification. Baruch Hashem no one was harmed and the FDNY was quick to the rescue. How come none of the photos shown here are of the actual school on fire but just adjacent buildings and fire trucks?
I had something to do with that building in a professional capacity a few years back.
From my cursory observation, the wiring appeared ancient. One hopes that the fire department does a thorough inspection and the students practice fire drills regularly.
They study in classrooms on four different floors.
The kids were back in the school not even two days later. The windows are still stained with soot, temporary electrical lighting, and (I believe) some of the broken windows boarded up. The building is not safe for kids to be in.
I emailed the FDNY through 311 but they say it is the DOB’s job to inspect—and I cannot find a link to make a complaint or request for inspection. (Call to 311 sent me in circles.) Someone needs to inspect that building, ASAP!