After five tense days living out of bags and guest rooms, tenants at the Maple Crest apartment complex in Deer Park have started moving back home as safety checks wrapped up and utilities came back online. The weekend blaze tore through several upper-floor units and sent dozens scrambling for temporary shelter, leaving some residents with little more than the clothes they escaped in and a long list of repairs ahead.
Residents return only after inspections and power restored
Officials did not rush anyone back in. Crews first inspected units, restored power and checked systems before opening doors to residents from 56 apartments who had been shut out for nearly a week, according to News 12 Bronx. Even units that never saw open flames were off-limits at first because of heavy smoke, water damage and utilities that had been cut for safety.
Tenant Debbie Ricciardi told reporters, "They had to fix all the electric, the boxes," and explained that she mostly lost food in the outage. She added that she was far more worried about neighbors who watched entire households go up in smoke.
Officials point to accidental cause
A Town of Babylon spokesperson said the fire started when clothing left on a hot stove ignited and the flames raced through multiple apartments, according to NBC New York. The outlet reported that about 16 apartments were "significantly damaged" and that the evacuation pushed dozens of people, possibly more than 100 residents in total, out of their homes during the emergency response.
Mutual aid crews knocked down heavy flames
Deer Park firefighters quickly called in mutual aid as heavy fire conditions erupted on the second floor, with crews stretching multiple hose lines and mounting both interior and exterior attacks to get the blaze under control, Patch reported. Firefighters remained on scene for hours chasing hidden hot spots, boarding up wrecked apartments and securing the building so it would be safe for residents to eventually return.
Emergency teams also spent time walking people back through the rubble, helping them recover what could be salvaged and connecting displaced tenants with short-term support.
Relief groups pitched in with housing and meals
News 12 Long Island reported that about 75 firefighters from eight departments answered the alarm. The American Red Cross arranged emergency housing for eight people, while other displaced tenants stayed with friends or relatives as Red Cross staff helped at the scene.
Earlier coverage from reporters at the complex noted that Red Cross volunteers and local organizations provided meals and mental health support while families juggled insurance claims, replacement of basic possessions and the grim work of cleaning up. The fire broke out at the Maple Crest Garden Apartments on Baldwin Path, where residents pointed out this is the second serious blaze at the property in just a few years.
A familiar, worrying pattern for tenants
Several residents told local media that they had already endured a previous fire at the same building in 2023, a detail that has sharpened tenant frustration and renewed questions about long-term safety at Maple Crest, according to NBC New York. Officials continue to say that this latest blaze appears accidental, and that ongoing investigations and repair work will determine when the remaining displaced tenants can fully come back.
With many families now back among their belongings, at least what is left of them, local officials and aid groups say the focus is shifting to insurance paperwork, contractor schedules and support for those who still need a place to stay. Town staff and property managers told reporters they plan to keep inspecting units and to coordinate assistance for residents through the repair and rebuilding process.
