3 Dead, 14 Injured as Fierce 3-Alarm Fire Rips Through Inwood Apartment Building
A fast-moving three-alarm fire ripped through a six-story apartment building in the Inwood neighborhood of Upper Manhattan early Monday morning, claiming the lives of three people and leaving more than a dozen others injured.
The blaze broke out around 12:30 a.m. at 207 Dyckman Street, a residential walk-up near Broadway. First responders arrived within three minutes of the initial call to find heavy fire venting from the windows and thick smoke choking the upper floors. Nearly 200 FDNY members and 60 units were deployed to the scene to battle the inferno, which quickly escalated to a third alarm.
Emergency officials confirmed that of the 14 people injured, five were transported to local hospitals in critical condition, including several children. One firefighter also sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the rescue efforts.
FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker noted that the rapid spread of the fire was exacerbated by apartment doors being left open as residents fled, creating a "chimney effect" that pulled flames and heat into the building's central stairwell. This blocked the primary escape route for many families, forcing some to attempt escapes via fire escapes in the dark.
The American Red Cross has established a reception center at a nearby school to assist the 100 residents displaced by the tragedy. While the fire was brought under control within two hours, fire marshals remain on-site to determine the exact cause of the blaze.
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