A fast-moving fire tore through a ninth-floor apartment at 1408 Webster Avenue on Monday afternoon, leaving one resident seriously hurt and a firefighter with minor injuries at the Butler Houses high-rise in the Claremont section of the Bronx. Crews managed to get the flames under control in about an hour, but not before paramedics rushed the badly injured occupant to Saint Barnabas Hospital. The incident comes just months after another fire at the very same address earlier this year, raising fresh concerns for neighbors along Webster Avenue.
What officials said
According to News 12 The Bronx, firefighters were dispatched to 1408 Webster Avenue shortly before 1:30 p.m. Monday. The FDNY told the outlet that roughly 120 fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene. Officials said the blaze was brought under control in just over an hour, while paramedics transported the seriously injured resident to Saint Barnabas Hospital and a firefighter was treated for minor injuries. News 12 The Bronx reports that the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Video from the scene
Video posted on the Citizen app shows firefighters working at the ninth-floor level, with heavy streams of water pouring from multiple windows as they knock down hot spots. The Citizen incident page includes user-shot video and radio audio from units on scene that back up reports of a large emergency response. The footage also makes clear how crews concentrated their efforts on the upper-floor apartment where the flames were burning.
Building background
City records list 1408 Webster Avenue as part of the Butler Houses public-housing complex, according to the NYC/NYCHA development guide. Earlier this year, local coverage documented another high-rise fire at the same address in March, as reported by Hoodline, underscoring repeated fire incidents along Webster Avenue this season. That pattern has kept fire-safety reminders such as maintaining working smoke alarms and closing doors during a fire front and center in official public outreach in the neighborhood.
Investigation continues
The FDNY says the cause of Monday's blaze is still under investigation, and officials have not released any further information on the injured person's condition beyond the hospital transport, according to News 12 The Bronx. Fire crews remained on scene conducting overhaul and ventilating affected floors after the flames were knocked down. Authorities are asking anyone with relevant footage or information about the incident to share it with investigators.
