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{{short description|Fatal apartment fire in the Bronx, New York}}
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| cause = Electrical [[space heater]]
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On the morning of January 9, 2022, a [[high-rise fire]] killed seventeen people,<ref name="2022-01-10 USA Today">{{cite news |last1=Bacon |first1=John |last2=Miller |first2=Ryan W. |date=
It was the third-worst residential fire in the United States in four decades,<ref>{{cite web|last=Ortiz|first=Jorge L.|title=US residential fires have declined over the decades. Bronx blaze is a reminder how dangerous they can be.|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/01/09/bronx-apartment-fire-united-states-history/9153811002/|access-date=January 10, 2022|website=USA TODAY|archive-date=January 10, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110050556/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/01/09/bronx-apartment-fire-united-states-history/9153811002/|url-status=live}}</ref> and the deadliest fire in New York City since the [[Happy Land fire|Happy Land nightclub fire]], which occurred nearby in 1990.<ref name="
Investigators determined that the fire was caused by a defective [[space heater]] bursting into flames. Smoke spread through the building as a result of two malfunctioning self-closing doors, causing deaths throughout the building. The fire was largely confined to one apartment; all of the persons killed in the fire died from [[smoke inhalation]],<ref name="
==Background==
{{main|Twin Parks}}
The 19-story residential building Twin Parks North West, Site 4 contains a total of 120 apartments.<ref name="Caspini">{{cite news |last1=Caspani |first1=Maria |title=NYC building space heater malfunction sparks fire that kills 19, including 9 children |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-york-city-apartment-building-fire-critically-injures-32-officials-2022-01-09/ |access-date=January 10, 2022 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=January 10, 2022 |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110012413/https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-york-city-apartment-building-fire-critically-injures-32-officials-2022-01-09/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It is located on 333 East [[181st Street]] near Tiebout Avenue. It is in the central Bronx, and part of the western segment of a "scatter-site" development project spanning the [[Fordham, Bronx|Fordham]], [[Tremont, Bronx|Tremont]] and [[East Tremont, Bronx|East Tremont]] neighborhoods.<ref name="
In 1977, the ''[[New York Daily News]]'' reported that [[Empire State Development Corporation|Urban Development Corporation]] buildings, including the building that was the site of the 2022 fire, had inferior electrical wiring that could pose a fire hazard. The source of the problem was that under its mandate from the state, the UDC was not subject to building codes and other municipal regulations, and could issue its own certificates of occupancy. Inspectors with the Board of Fire Underwriters found "building violations of an electrical nature" at 333 East 181st Street, and another building at Twin Parks, along with other UDC properties.<ref name="Mayer-Gottlieb- 1977">{{cite news |last1=Mayer |first1=Martin |last2=Gottlieb |first2=Marvin |title=Fire Warning! UDC Buildings May Be Unsafe |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92454955/udc-buildings-may-be-unsafe-1977/ |access-date=
Twin Parks North West, Site 4, is currently owned and operated by a private partnership between LIHC Investment Group, Belveron Partners, and Camber Property Group, which purchased it along with other Bronx buildings in early 2020.<ref name="
At the time of the 2022 fire, the building housed a large [[Islam in the United States|Muslim]] [[West Africa]]n population, notably many [[immigration to the United States|immigrants]] from [[The Gambia]], as well as smaller communities from [[Mali]] and [[Burkina Faso]].<ref name="bronx fire2">{{Cite news|last=Elassar|first=Alaa|date=January 9, 2022|title=Major fire in Bronx apartment building leaves 19 people dead, including 9 children, officials say|work=CNN|url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/09/us/bronx-fire-injuries/index.html|access-date=January 9, 2022|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=January 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109190147/https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/09/us/bronx-fire-injuries/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=nytimes>{{cite news |first=Christine |last=Chung |title=Bronx Apartment Building Was Home To a Large African Community |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/09/nyregion/gambia-bronx-fire-victims.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 9, 2022
==Fire==
Just before 11 a.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]], an electric [[space heater]] ignited a fire in a duplex apartment on the second and third floor. The building's [[fire alarm system]] was triggered immediately. Although the first [[9-1-1]] calls were placed by neighbors who heard the alarms, some residents claimed that [[false alarm]]s were common, and many initially believed that there was no fire or need to evacuate.<ref name="
{{external media|float=left|video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA8lGaBXv6c | BBC News with Eyewitness Interviews]}}
The fire itself was ultimately confined to the duplex apartment and the adjacent hallway, but heavy smoke quickly impeded visibility for escaping occupants.<ref name="
Within 3 minutes after ignition, the [[New York City Fire Department|New York City Fire Department (FDNY)]] and other emergency services began arriving.<ref name="
Around 200 firefighters responded in total,<ref name="
==Victims==
Seventeen people were killed,<ref name="2022-01-10 USA Today" /> including eight children,<ref name="2022-01-09 WNYW" /> while 44 people were injured; 34 of the victims were under the age of 18.<ref name="
Among the victims was an entire Gambian immigrant family of five, including three children aged between 5 and 12, who fled an apartment on the top floor only to be overcome by smoke.<ref name="
Identification of the dead was hampered by many not carrying identification. Tattoos, body jewelry, nail art and scars were used for identification purposes by the [[medical examiner]]’s office, as well as [[DNA profiling|DNA matching]]. The result was a lag in identifying victims, especially children,<ref name="
==Investigation==
FDNY investigators determined that the fire was caused by an electric space heater. The device had ignited a mattress after being left to run continuously for a "prolonged period."<ref name="
The fire (and initial propagation of smoke) was stoked by the involved unit's door remaining open after its occupants had escaped. While the building did not (nor was it required to){{citation needed|date=January 2022}} have sprinklers in most areas, it did conform to a 2018 city law requiring self-closing mechanisms on all apartment doors in buildings containing more than three units.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Dorn|first=Sara|date=January 10, 2022|title=After deadly Bronx fire, will NYC's self-closing door law be better enforced?|work=[[City & State]]|url=https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2022/01/after-deadly-bronx-fire-will-nycs-self-closing-door-law-be-better-enforced/360582/|access-date=January 11, 2022|archive-date=January 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111013642/https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2022/01/after-deadly-bronx-fire-will-nycs-self-closing-door-law-be-better-enforced/360582/|url-status=live}}</ref>
According to the property owners, maintenance staff checked the involved unit's self-closing mechanism in July 2021 and found it to be in working order. After the fire, investigators found it inoperable — along with those on several other doors throughout the building.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Mays|first1=Jeffery|last2=Watkins|first2=Ali|last3=Gold|first3=Michael|date=January 10, 2022|title=Mayor says a door in the Bronx high-rise may have malfunctioned and revises the number killed to 17|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/01/10/nyregion/bronx-fire-nyc/a-door-in-the-bronx-high-rise-may-have-malfunctioned-mayor-eric-adams-said|access-date=January 11, 2022|archive-date=January 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111020842/https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/01/10/nyregion/bronx-fire-nyc/a-door-in-the-bronx-high-rise-may-have-malfunctioned-mayor-eric-adams-said|url-status=live}}</ref> Among the other failed mechanisms was one on a 15th-floor stairwell door; this second open door created a [[Flue|flue effect]] that rapidly accelerated the spread of heavy smoke throughout the rest of the building.<ref name="nyt_bronx_fire2">{{Cite news|last=Paybarah|first=Azi|date=January 9, 2022|title=32 Seriously Hurt in Bronx Apartment Building Fire, Officials Say|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/09/nyregion/bronx-fire-apartment-building.html|access-date=January 9, 2022|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=January 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109180029/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/09/nyregion/bronx-fire-apartment-building.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="2022-01-09 NY1">{{cite news |date=January 9, 2022
==Legal==
Survivors of the blaze filed two lawsuits on January 12, claiming the tragedy was preventable and was due to negligence.<ref>{{cite web|date=
==Aftermath==
In a post-incident press conference, [[New York City Fire Commissioner|Commissioner]] [[Daniel A. Nigro|Nigro]] said that when fires occur in high-rise fireproof buildings, "people should shelter in place," and that "it’s safer to be in your apartment than to venture out and try to get down the stairs and sometimes into a much more dangerous situation".<ref name="
[[Eric Adams]], the [[mayor of New York City]], announced that the city authorities would work to ensure [[Islamic funeral]] and burial rites for those killed in the fire would be respected, and Muslim leaders would be sought to help with the process and aid residents.<ref name="
Bronx-native and rapper [[Cardi B]] pledged to cover the funeral expenses of all 17 victims as well as repatriation costs for a number of the victims who are to be buried in Gambia.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chapman|first=Wilson|date=January 19, 2022
Multiple organizations spoke out about the fire and highlighted concerns such as fire safety and fire prevention measures that have not been updated due to being constructed prior to such requirements. Other organizations used the space heater as the ignition point to highlight those that were currently living in buildings without heat that may have to utilize other means; such as a space heater for heat.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ortiz|first=Erik|date=January 11, 2022|title=Deadly Bronx fire puts focus on space heaters as 'symbols of inequity'|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/symbols-inequity-deadly-bronx-fire-puts-focus-space-heaters-rcna11748|url-status=live|access-date=
==See also==
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