Late Tuesday night, a two-alarm fire tore through a multi-story building in Unionport, forcing families out of their homes and drawing a heavy FDNY response to Gleason Avenue. Crews arrived just after 10:30 p.m. to find flames in the building's cockloft and quickly transmitted a second alarm. Firefighters had the blaze under control in roughly an hour, and there were no reported injuries. The American Red Cross registered five households - 10 adults and one child - for emergency assistance, according to News 12 New York.
What officials reported
According to News 12 New York, the FDNY was called to 2155 Gleason Ave just after 10:30 p.m. Firefighters arriving on scene found fire in the cockloft and upgraded it to a two-alarm job. The department reported about 141 fire personnel on scene and said crews had the flames under control in almost an hour. News 12 also noted that the American Red Cross registered five households - 10 adults and one child - for emergency assistance.
The building and the cockloft risk
Public property records list 2155 Gleason Ave as a multi-family, low-rise building dating to the 1920s. Property data reviewed on Compass show the structure's original construction era. The space between the top-floor ceiling and the roof - the cockloft - can let fire spread horizontally and out of sight, which often forces an escalated, personnel-intensive response.
As the FDNY's procedures explain, cockloft fires frequently require multiple hoselines and roof operations, such as trenching, to limit lateral extension. The department's firefighting manual details those tactics and why they raise resource needs for attached or older buildings (FDNY).
Why this matters for the Bronx
Two-alarm runs like Tuesday's fit a broader pattern: reporting this spring has pointed to a rise in multi-alarm and large building fires in the Bronx, with aging wiring and older construction often cited as contributing factors. Local coverage of nearby Van Nest and Unionport fires has highlighted how vacant storefronts and older, poorly maintained spaces can complicate firefighting and recovery efforts; see recent Hoodline coverage of a Van Nest two-alarm blaze for a neighborhood example. Fire marshals will determine an official cause for the Gleason Avenue fire, and relief groups typically remain on site to assist displaced families.
Fire marshals are investigating and officials have not released a cause. There were no reported injuries and the Red Cross was at the scene registering families for assistance, according to News 12 New York. We will update this story if the fire marshal issues findings or the FDNY posts an official statement.
