A large fire broke out at a Bronx auto body shop yesterday morning, displacing several families and injuring four firefighters. The blaze started at Zeny Tires and Rims on East Tremont Avenue and spread to nearby residences, according to ABC7 New York. Guarionex Colon, the shop manager, reported the loss of 20 years of work.
The fire caused extensive damage, including a collapsed roof at the auto body shop, leading the city's Department of Buildings to issue full vacate orders for the shop and the two neighboring homes. "The air, it was really hard to breathe because I live right there in Parkchester, so I could smell it from my house," neighbor Maritza Bermudez told CBS News. The Red Cross is coordinating support for displaced residents, providing emergency lodging and financial assistance to affected families.
Firefighting units responded quickly to the scene, but the blaze escalated into a five-alarm fire. The building’s structural integrity, weakened by the intense heat and materials inside the shop, resulted in a partial collapse that FDNY personnel were able to avoid. In an interview with ABC7 New York, FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito discussed concerns about the building’s stability prior to the collapse.
Approximately 200 first responders arrived at the scene to address the fire, which was brought under control nearly three hours after it began. Four firefighters were taken to local hospitals with minor injuries. Jacy Hudson, who lost her home in the fire, said to ABC7 New York, "I know I'm alive but damn I'm tired of struggling. I'm tired of going through catastrophes. I just got my spine repaired. I've got nothing but metal in my back. I'm not well. And then this. So now I'm homeless." The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
