This just in: A mutating zombie virus has contaminated a small section of the Bronx and is threatening to take over all of New York City. At the moment, all those infected are quarantined safely within the walls of a scary-looking warehouse on Commerce Avenue in the southeast Bronx. The public, or at least those brave enough, is welcome to come and see for themselves the severity of this virus. But, of course, they must enter at their own risk. No one is liable for any zombie bites, scratches or missing children.

That is the premise behind the borough’s biggest Halloween thrill ride, known as “The Bronx Haunted Warehouse.” Creators Timothy Haskell, Bobby Ferrara and Steve Kopelman concocted the virus for the love of anything gruesome and everything Halloween.

Haskell is the demented mind behind the number one haunted house in the city, according to CityGuide. His Lower East Side attraction called “Nightmare” has been scaring folks for the past decade. He expanded his spookiness into the Bronx thanks to the encouragement and help of Ferrara, a Bronx native who takes Halloween very seriously.

Before opening a Bronx-based attraction last year, Ferrara would take his kids to different haunted houses throughout the city and even upstate. A couple of years ago, Ferrara tracked Haskell down and pitched his idea about collaborating on a haunted house in the Bronx. Haskell accepted and they brought in Kopelman to do all of the house’s props.

Now, the haunted house is a Ferrara family affair. One of his teenage sons works the web page and another does security. His daughter helps the actors get into zombie makeup. (Mom, however, is not involved; too gruesome an undertaking, Ferrara says.)

Aside from changing the name from “Z-Day” to the less esoteric “Bronx Haunted House,” Ferrara says they have upgraded this year’s haunted house with several new rooms and more authentic and scarier effects. Ferrara is hoping his haunted house can capitalize on its location (it’s the only haunted house in the Bronx and relatively close to Westchester County) and the popularity of zombie-related entertainment (AMC’s zombie fable, “The Walking Dead,” is the highest rated non-network show on basic cable).

Launched in early October, the Bronx Haunted Warehouse runs through Oct. 31.

Warning: You may enter with friends or family, but once zombies jump out unexpectedly and start chasing you, it is every man, woman and child for themselves. Bring your survival instincts. You will need them to make it out the Bronx Haunted Warehouse alive.

Ed. Note: The Bronx Haunted Warehouse is located at 1157 Commerce Ave. For more information or to purchase advance tickets, visit the website www.hauntedhousebronx.com. This article was originally published in the Oct. 18-31 print edition of the Norwood News.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.