A pre-dawn fire ripped through a third-floor apartment at 666 East 233rd Street in Wakefield early Saturday, choking the six-story building with thick smoke and sending families racing into the hallway in their pajamas. For many tenants, it was not just a terrifying wake-up call. It was a grim repeat of a nightmare they say has been building for years.
Officials said the fire erupted just before 7 a.m. in a third-floor unit, with flames and smoke spreading through the residential building, according to News 12 New York. The outlet reported that this is the second blaze at the address in less than six months and that several households were displaced while firefighters worked to knock down the flames.
Owner Records and Repair History
Property records list the building’s owner as Parkash 666 LLC. Real-estate databases document a trail of inspections and violations at the address; see PropertyShark. A building profile maintained by Augrented compiles dozens of 311 complaints and housing-code violations at the same site, painting a picture of long-running maintenance and repair problems that tenants say never seem to fully get fixed.
Tenant Escape and Failing Alarms
“I put my mother over my shoulder and threw her wheelchair down the steps,” resident Kareem Graham told reporters, describing how he, his young children and his disabled mother woke to find smoke in their living room. Crews later worked to clear standing water that poured into the apartment during firefighting efforts, and officials say the cause of the blaze remains under investigation. News 12 New York reported that Graham said smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the unit “had not worked for years.”
What Tenants Should Know
New York City rules require landlords to install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in residential units, while tenants are responsible for testing and maintaining those devices. The FDNY and HPD publish guidance on where alarms should be placed and how responsibilities are divided between tenants and building owners, per the FDNY and HPD. For vulnerable households that need help getting alarms installed, the American Red Cross runs local programs that provide and install detectors at no cost; see the Red Cross.
Next Steps
Tenants who need emergency shelter or who want to report unsafe building conditions can contact 311 or reach out directly to HPD to request inspections and assistance. City inspectors and fire investigators are expected to follow up at 666 East 233rd Street as agencies assess the damage and review the property’s compliance and enforcement record.
