A residential fire in a multiple dwelling was brought under control in the vicinity of Van Cortlandt Village in The Bronx on the same day that the mayor signed an executive order strengthening fire safety legislation.

 

The FDNY said all hands were called to respond to the fire at 7.35 p.m. on Monday, March 21, at 68 W. 238th Street, a 5-story building located just outside the border of the Van Cortlandt Village section of the borough.

 

The fire was reported by the FDNY on the first floor of the building. Videos posted by users of the Citizens’ App, apparently by residents on a higher floor, showed smoke billowing out of the building further below, and at least two fire trucks at the scene.

 

Fire department officials said the fire was brought under control at 8.05 p.m. Asked about injuries and the cause of the blaze, the department said there were no injuries and the cause was still under investigation.

 

Meanwhile, according to more tweets from the FDNY, a two-alarm fire was also reported on Monday at an Auto Body Shop located at 1689 Jerome Avenue in Morris Heights, at around 12.30 in the morning. The blaze was reportedly brought under control at around 1.47 a.m. Norwood News contacted the FDNY for further details about this incident also.

 

We were informed on Tuesday, March 22, that at 00.22 a.m, at 1689 Jerome Avenue, a fire was reported in a 3-story, auto body shop. Around 138 fire and EMS members responded to the scene. The incident was deemed under control at 1.46 a.m. with two civilian injuries treated at the scene. The cause is under investigation by fire marshals.

 

Norwood News is continuing to follow up with the FDNY regarding the cause of the fire.

 

As reported, a number of new laws relating to fire safety have been introduced at various levels of government following the Twin Parks fire tragedy in January 2022.

 

Bronx All Hands Box 3539, 68 W 238 ST, MULTIPLE DWELLING A, 1 FLR

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) March 21, 2022

 

On Monday, Mayor Eric Adams signed Executive Order 12 to strengthen fire safety enforcement and outreach in the aftermath of the Twin Parks apartment fire. The executive order will increase coordination between FDNY and New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) inspectors to identify safety violations earlier and increase fire safety compliance. FDNY and HPD will also launch a broad campaign to educate New Yorkers on fire safety. Indeed, since the Twin Parks fire tragedy, a number of ad hoc fire safety training sessions have already taken place during local community board meetings, as reported. 

 

Adams said his administration must work towards equipping every New Yorker and every building in the City with the tools to avoid what he called the unspeakable tragedy of Twin Parks. “As we continue providing critical support for the families affected by the fire, we are working closely with Borough President [Vanessa] Gibson, Council Member [Oswald] Feliz, and our partners across and beyond government to fix this problem, upstream,” the mayor said. “Today’s actions are an essential step towards the goal of preventing this kind of tragedy from ever occurring again.”

 

Meanwhile, FDNY acting commissioner, Laura Kavanaugh, said educating New Yorkers on fire safety was among the most important goals of the fire department and one it took very seriously. “These new partnerships will strengthen the work we already do and help us reach the neediest residents in all corners of the city on fire education and prevention,” she said.

 

For his part, HPD commissioner, Adolfo Carrión Jr. said the fire at the Twin Parks building was a devastating tragedy. “We are committed to working closely with FDNY to help prevent future tragedies,” he said. “In addition to checking for self-closing doors, smoke detectors, and other critical safety items at every routine inspection, our inspectors will now also check that the Fire Safety Notice is posted on every apartment door, which provides life-saving information about what to do in the event of a fire. All New Yorkers should have a fire safety plan and contact their property owners if there are fire safety issues in their homes or file a complaint with 311 if issues are not corrected.”

 

Bronx All Hands Box 3539, 68 W 238 ST, MULTIPLE DWELLING A, APT 3-C/ 1 FLR, Under Control

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) March 22, 2022

 

Gibson said the executive order strengthening fire safety enforcement and outreach was a proactive step that would save lives and help ensure the Bronx would not have a repeat of what occurred in January at Twin Parks. “We are turning our pain into purpose and making sure we protect future New Yorkers,” she said. “I want to thank Mayor Adams, FDNY, and HPD, as well as our partners on the federal level and the Fire Safety Task Force, for their collaboration on this important issue. Interagency communication is key in preventing the next tragic fire from occurring in our City.”

 

Feliz, in whose district the Twin Parks tragedy occurred, in District 15’s Fordham Heights, said the tragedy highlighted the need for stronger laws and enforcement of laws related to fire safety. “We must do everything within our power to ensure another tragedy, like the one we saw at Twin Parks, never happens again — anywhere in New York City,” he said. “I thank Mayor Eric Adams for taking executive action to help resolve the fire safety challenges that we face, and I look forward to working with members of the City Council to take additional action and build a system that will protect our families from future tragedies.”

 

The mayor’s office said the administration will also work with City Council to enact additional fire safety legislation, including sensible retrofit sprinkler legislation and legislation that increases fines for landlords who falsely report curing a self-closing door violation.

 

The executive order itself will increase coordination and information-sharing between the agencies to better enforce existing fire safety laws. The agencies will also enhance outreach efforts to educate New Yorkers on preventing fires and responding to fire emergencies. Measures include the following: 

 

• In addition to looking for housing code violations, HPD inspectors will now look for compliance with FDNY’s requirement that the Fire Safety Notice is posted on the apartment’s entrance door. HPD will communicate information about lack of this signage to FDNY and to the owner of the building.
• HPD will provide FDNY with access to all violations issued that pertain to fire safety since January 1, 2021. FDNY will use this information to conduct more frequent inspections of buildings with a large number of violations.
• FDNY inspectors will conduct enhanced inspections for fire signage and posting violations.
• FDNY and HPD will conduct a broad, educational fire safety outreach campaign, including education related to smoke detectors, self-closing doors, and stove knob covers. Resident outreach will include information on what to do in the event of a fire, and building owners will be reminded of their legal obligations related to fire safety.
• FDNY will work with the Department of Education to conduct outreach in schools, including educating teachers, staff, and students about appropriate fire safety measures and proper evacuation procedures.

 

Reacting to the legislation, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said, “It is unfortunate that these types of deadly fires are far too common, and it is our duty, as elected officials, to protect people from such preventable dangers.” She added, “The plans Mayor Adams will implement to allow fire departments to collaborate and share data across all necessary agencies will work in partnership with the bill I introduced with Congressman [Ritchie] Torres (NY-15), the Empowering the U.S. Fire Administration Act, which will help the U.S. Fire Administration to assist and provide the resources our local fire departments need to prevent an incident like the one we saw on January 9.”

 

Bronx 2-Alarm Box 4769, 1689 JEROME AVE, COMMERCIAL, AUTO BODY SHOP , Under Control

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) March 21, 2022

 

Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) also welcomed the new legislation. “The recent fire tragedies — in the Bronx and throughout New York City — make clear the urgent need for increased federal, state, and local government collaboration to help keep constituents safe from these potentially catastrophic events, especially those that could have been prevented with proper enforcement and inspection,” he said. “New Yorkers feeling safe and secure in their apartments should be a right, regardless of their zip code or socioeconomic status. I was proud to lead the federal effort to ensure fire safety remains part of our national dialogue and commend Mayor Adams for his continuous engagement to strengthen collaboration between the FDNY and New York City housing inspectors to make fire safety compliance a priority across our city.”

  

State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), also referenced the Twin Parks fire and thanked Adams and his administration for taking what he called a comprehensive approach to addressing the issue, strengthening fire safety enforcement in the City and promoting fire safety education to as many New Yorkers as possible. “It is critical that we work together across all levels of government to enhance fire safety protocols and ensure our communities feel protected, by providing them the resources and support they need.”

 

As reported, District 11 City Councilman Eric Dinowitz recently hosted a virtual, fire safety session in conjunction with the FDNY on Feb. 28. Firefighter, Zachary Bitzer, reminded residents to plug space heaters, air conditioners or other electrical appliances into a wall socket rather than into an extension lead. He said space heaters should also be kept three feet away from anything combustible. If a unit is getting too hot, it should be replaced. Bitzer said space heaters should be shut off when they are not being used, when residents are sleeping, or when they go out.

 

Electrical cords and cables should run over and not under rugs and carpets. If there’s an issue with the cord (frayed), it will make contact with the rug and may cause a fire. Bitzer said cooking should be a kid-free zone and encouraged residents to always have two over mitts to hand. Pots and pans should have proper fitting lids which will cut off the oxygen if the fire starts in the pot or pan, while the mitt protects the person from getting burn as they place the lid on the pot or pan. Tight arm-fitting clothing should also be work when cooking to avoid any accidents and handles should be turned inwards on the stove. Further tips can be found at FDNYsmart.org.

 

Bitzer also highlighted the importance of placing smoke detectors in every room in a home. Residents can get a free smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector through the #GetAlarmedNYC program provided by FDNY and the Red Cross. For more information, call Red Cross at (877) 733-2767 or visit http://www.redcross.org/local/new-york/greater-new-york/home-fire-preparedness-campaign.