One person has died and another was critically injured in an early morning fire in Mount Hope on Thursday, according to authorities.
The two-alarm fire broke out on the third floor of a three-story building located at 237 E. 176th St. at approximately 6:11 a.m., according to the NYPD.
The FDNY responded with 25 units consisting of 106 fire and EMS personnel. The responding personnel were met with heavy fire conditions on the second and third floors, as well as the attic, according to FDNY Deputy Chief Christopher Ritchie, who spoke during a press conference at the site of the fire Thursday morning.
Ritchie reported that responders battled “heavy clutter conditions” throughout the building and advised the community to make sure people “have a way out” of their homes in case of a fire.
“You’re going to need a way out of your apartment,” Ritchie said. “Don’t have a pile of stuff just in your apartment. Have a path to get out.”
The fire was placed under control at 7:43 a.m., according to FDNY.
An NYPD spokesperson told the Bronx Times that a man believed to be between 30 and 40 years old was found unconscious inside the building and was pronounced dead at the scene. The spokesperson said the man has yet to be identified and it’s currently unclear if he was living at the location of the fire.
Additionally, a Hispanic woman believed to be in her 50s was found unconscious inside the building and transported to St. Barnabas Hospital in critical condition, according to the NYPD spokesperson, who could not confirm whether she was a resident living at the site of the fire.
A firefighter was also transported to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, according to the FDNY.
Red Cross representatives were on the scene Thursday morning helping to relocate four additional people who were displaced from their homes as a result of the fire, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
Fire marshals are working to determine the cause of the fire.
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