A fire that erupted in a Bronx apartment building on Wednesday has left 12 people injured, one in critical condition. The blaze, reported just after 4 p.m., was contained primarily to one unit on Ryer Avenue in the Fordham Heights area but nevertheless required multiple rescues by both FDNY units and local residents, according to ABC7 New York. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
Before firefighters could even arrive, nearby deli worker Ali and others acted quickly to save a young boy trapped inside by lifting another man up to a window. Despite attempting to save more people, they were forced back by flames shooting out windows. Ali's heroic efforts were captured on video which also showed the community rallying together in the face of the emergency. "I feel good. I saved a life," Ali told CBS News in a statement.
Another local resident, Jonathan Gomez, heard children calling for help and didn't hesitate to act. "They were screaming like, 'help, help, help!' And one of them was saying, 'I can't breathe, I can't breathe,'" Gomez recounted to ABC7 New York. He went into the building alongside a friend and was able to rescue two of the children, though flames prevented a return attempt for others.
Firefighters continued the rescue efforts, with FDNY Deputy Chief Andrew Holzmaier detailing to ABC7 New York that one female victim was found in the hallway and another in a bedroom. "Units went up. They began searching -- the fire apartment. They located the first individual in the hallway, and she was brought out via the interior stairs to the sidewalk," Holzmaier stated. A child, initially thought to be missing, was also pulled to safety by firefighters at a window.
The Red Cross is providing assistance to those displaced by the fire, as clean-up efforts began shortly after firefighters controlled the blaze. Affected residents and ground-level shop owners on Ryer Avenue now face the task of rebuilding what was lost.
