Firefighters on New York City's Upper East Side faced a considerable challenge yesterday, battling a fire that broke out in a pre-war apartment building. The FDNY was summoned to 160 East 91st Street around 12:30 p.m, where flames were seen erupting through the building's roof, based on video from the Citizen App, according to ABC7NY. Assistant Chief John Sarrocco described the encounter as "a labor-intensive fire for the fire department," with teams executing an aggressive interior attack, opening walls and pulling ceilings to quash the stubborn inferno that scorched its way from the third floor up into the cockloft.
Nearly 150 firefighters were deployed to handle the situation, one of whom sustained minor injuries in the process. The Buildings Department, reacting to the aftermath, has issued a vacate order for at least a dozen apartments, rendering some residents, like Odelia Adout who returned from work to find her access barred, without immediate shelter. "It's horrible. Really terrible. Literally, I was at work, and I came here. Seeing this was scary," Adout told ABC7NY.
As reported by the New York Post, the devastation impacted approximately 20 of the 125 units within the building, with the Red Cross stepping in to offer emergency assistance and temporary lodging for the displaced. A co-op board memo to shareholders, detailed by the Post, informed residents of ongoing investigations and cleanup efforts following the event.
The fire struck a building already steeped in controversy, stemming from its residents' previous contention with the neighboring Redeemer Presbyterian Church East Side over its construction of a new edifice. Co-op residents had expressed deep concerns over the proximity of the church's structure to their own, fearing inadequate space for light, ventilation, and emergency egress. Despite resistance and an attempt to secure more breathing room between the buildings, the church's project moved forward, meeting code but not their neighbors' apprehensions. According to photos released by the FDNY, the blaze appears to have originated on the side facing the church.
In a show of community support, despite past disputes, the church opened its doors to about a dozen affected residents, providing a meal and coordinating efforts with the Red Cross, as confirmed by a Redeemer staffer. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
