Editor’s Note: The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition dated May 14-May 27, 2026.

A brave, quick-thinking neighbor, who is also a survivor of gun violence, is lamenting that he couldn’t save more kids trapped inside his burning Fordham Manor building on Monday, May 11, after he scaled the back of the building minutes after a fire broke out and helped rescue one infant and her mother.

 

As reported, police said a 1-year-old baby boy, later identified by the NYPD as Liam Parks, died after the residential fire broke out at 2609 Bainbridge Avenue on Monday, and that a 6-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy (twins), the infant’s siblings, remain in critical condition at St. Barnabas Hospital. Read our initial story on the fire here.

 

As reported, an FDNY spokesperson told Norwood News the department received a call at 3.39 p.m. for a report of a fire on the second floor of the residential building located between East 193rd Street and East 194th Street.

 

The spokesperson said 21 units, comprising 79 fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene and that five civilian patients, three with critical injuries and one with serious injuries, were transported to area hospitals. He said one with minor injuries refused medical attention.

The spokesperson added that three firefighters with minor injuries were also transported to area hospitals, adding that the condition and descriptions of the injured were unknown. He said the fire marshals had been notified and the cause is under investigation. He said the fire was brought under control at 4:40 p.m.

 

The NYPD said in part that when officers responded to the scene on Monday, they were informed that three children suffered smoke inhalation and that they had been transported to St. Barnabas Hospital in critical condition. They confirmed the 1-year-old male succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased by hospital staff.

 

Later on Monday evening, speaking in Spanish, Jaime Cuevas Ventura told Norwood News he had been sitting on a fold-up chair in front of the building having a drink when he realized something was wrong. “I was there and I realized the fire started,” he said. He said Liam’s mother came running downstairs shouting, “My kids are up there! My kids are up there!” He said one of the woman’s other children who was outside the building at that point, was crying.

 

Cuevas Ventura, who walks with a limp and has a slightly curved leg due to problems recovering from two gunshot wounds he incurred 28 years earlier in Puerto Rico, continued, “There was nobody around in the apartment [to help her], you know? I went running up the [interior] stairs with her, but when we pushed open the door of the apartment, there was SO much black, black smoke, I couldn’t enter.”

Slight in stature, Cuevas Ventura later showed Norwood News where he had earlier gone behind the building, yanked down the emergency ladder to the exterior fire escape, and had proceeded to climb up to the second floor.

 

From there, he said he ended up breaking open one window but it was to an apartment adjacent to Liam’s apartment, and he entered the building from there. He explained that it was a really chaotic situation and difficult to see. “When I got inside, I didn’t realize that the kids were in another apartment, next door,” he said, referring to Liam and his siblings.

 

Cuevas Ventura, who said he lives on the fourth floor of the building, said a mother and a small infant girl were sleeping in the adjacent apartment he entered and that he work them up, calling, “Fire! Fire!” He estimated the little girl was around 3 years of age and described her as Mexican. He said he first brought her down the fire escape, and then also helped the little girl’s mother down afterwards.

“I tried to then save the other three, but I couldn’t because the smoke wouldn’t allow me,” he said. “I didn’t have a mask or anything,” he added, explaining that he did break a window to try to let the smoke out of their apartment, but when the firefighters arrived, they advised him to go back down.

 

On Wednesday night, May 13, Norwood News spoke to Cuevas Ventura, who said he works odd jobs in construction in and around New York and New Jersey, again, along with his friends, Angel and another man who declined to be identified. Both Cuevas Ventura and Angel spoke about when police officers arrived to the fire scene [to cordon off the area for the FDNY]. They both alleged one of the officers had been a bit aggressive with Cuevas Ventura, gesturing as if to indicate he had been pushed at one point.

 

Angel said he had to explain to them that Cuevas Ventura had just saved people from the building and to take it easy on him. Norwood News has reached out to the NYPD for comment on the alleged push. Speaking in Spanish, the other friend of Jaime’s said, “Everybody loves Jaime, everybody, because Jaime took the child out.”

 

He added, “Jesus was working through Jaime to save the people.” He also said that Cuevas Ventura was crying after the rescue, overcome with emotion. Meanwhile, Cuevas Ventura told Norwood News the firefighters who had taken Liam and his siblings out were crying afterwards.

 

Angel also said a lot of people had been speaking to the media after the fire who were not there when it happened, but that Cuevas Ventura was the real hero. “He did what he had to do,” said Angel, who does not live in the affected building. “You see his condition? Bad leg? When he went into the building, he didn’t think about that. He climbed that backyard. To bring a ladder down from a fire escape to climb up, it has a hook on the top, he did that all by himself.” Cuevas Ventura later said he had been shot in a case of mistaken identity in Puerto Rico 28 years ago.

 

Angel continued, “He went into the wrong apartment but he’s still saving a baby and a girl [a mother],” Angel said. “They didn’t even know what was going on, carried the baby with one hand [climbing back down]. So, he had a lot to do with it. We were the only ones that were here, and he did an amazing job. A lot of credit to him and a lot of people have started to recognize that.”

Of Liam’s mother, Angel said some people had been sharing inaccurate information about what had happened. “That’s a good lady,” he said. “Always, the kids are very respectful. They always say hi.” Angel said he has talked to Liam’s father and added that the twins are still in the hospital. He added that Liam’s father had been working when the fire broke out and came racing back to the building once he was notified.

 

The friends said they had erected a candlelit memorial tribute to Liam and some local Mexican women had come and hung a wooden crucifix necklace on it. Meanwhile, Pedro, another resident of the building said he had been sleeping in his car as he said he had only received one night’s accommodation through the Red Cross, and that others were only getting three nights. Norwood News reached out to the Red Cross to ask for comment and will share any updates we receive.

 

Reacting to the tragedy last Monday, a local female resident, who declined to be identified and who was the person who told Norwood News about Cuevas Ventura saving the people from the building, said, “It was sad seeing the kids come out. The first baby they brought out was burned on the face and they were trying to resuscitate him.”

She added, “They were all covered in black smoke, and it was sad, and it happened so quick; it was crazy. My heart went out to the family and to the kids, you know?” Asked if a fire alarm had gone off, she said she didn’t hear one.

 

Also on Monday after the fire, speaking in French, another young, male resident of the fifth floor, who said he’s originally from Mauritius and who works as a delivery driver, said his friend had called him to let him know there was a fire in the building and that other people had also gone upstairs to knock on neighbors’ doors to let them know. Asked if an alarm had sounded, the man said he had not heard one.

 

“We went downstairs and we saw the police and the ambulance and now we don’t have much more news,” he said. We asked the resident if he had taken the interior or exterior stairs to exit. He said the exterior one. Asked if there had been a lot of flames, he said no but that there had been a lot of smoke in the corridors. Asked if he felt he had been in real danger, he said it was just difficult with all the smoke, but they found their way out.

Speaking in Spanish, a local hairdresser whose business is located at the rear of the building, said it seemed to take a long time to get one woman out from the third floor from what she could see of the rescue efforts. Another man in the salon, speaking in Spanish, commented that the resident appeared to be scared to go down the fire escape. He said a firefighter reached her floor from the roof and broke her window to get to her.

 

Red Cross workers were seen talking to a large group of residents outside the building later on Monday. A Red Cross spokesperson later said they registered 51 people for emergency assistance (46 adults and five children).

 

Norwood News asked if any pets had been reported left behind and the spokesperson said, “We did register one cat that was missing. I will let you know that these statuses are not always updated in our system to reflect when a pet has been located, but they do reflect the status at the time of registration.”

Meanwhile, an NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) spokesperson said inspectors carried out a structural stability inspection of the 5-story multiple dwelling, which has 11 apartments, and inspectors observed extensive fire damage including charred joists, open windows, and severely damaged public areas.

 

“DOB issued a Fully Vacate Order of the building and ordered the building owner to enlist a professional engineer to submit a structural stability report,” the spokesperson said. “DOB investigations also revealed illegally constructed dwelling units on the property,” he added. “As a result, DOB will be issuing multiple OATH/ECB violations, included work without a permit, occupancy contrary to Certificate of Occupancy, and work without a permit.”

 

Norwood News also spoke to some other displaced residents, a brother, sister and mom who are neighbors of Liam’s family, on Monday. “I know the two kids,” one man said. “I work in banking so every day, I wear a tie to work and the little kids are always surprised about the ties.” He said he usually left for work at around the same time as the kids were going to school.

 

He said Liam’s family were good people and would often hold his packages/deliveries for him. He added that he thinks it’s a family of four children ranging from around 12 years old, to Liam, 1, and the two twins.

 

“I’m never home,” the man continued. The family said they were not home when the fire broke out. They appeared remarkably calm despite not knowing the state of their home. Asked if they were concerned to hear that apparently no fire alarm went off, the man’s sister said she was, given there had been so many fires lately in The Bronx.

“It’s funny, like, that we do fire drills and things like that in school, but never at home, and usually people don’t know what to do, especially if the alarm doesn’t go off,” she said. Norwood News mentioned that recent public fire safety training sessions had been held throughout March and had been organized by the Office of the Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson in conjunction with the FDNY.

 

“I know some people don’t even know how to unlock the fire escape,” she continued. “I was one of those.” The woman also mentioned that she thinks there might be a problem with electricity in the building because she said sometimes, especially in summertime, when the AC is on, the lights would go off or would be very dim.

 

She said when she would plug the AC into another outlet, it would solve the problem. “It’s not normal,” she said. She also said Liam’s family were very friendly, though they were not super close with them.

Her brother said he heard that many people couldn’t find a way out during the fire, so they went up to the roof and jumped from the roof to adjacent buildings which, his sister added, are fortunately attached with no gap. “I think they should start making people do fire drills in the building,” the woman said. The cause of the fire is under investigation, as reported.

 

The building is owned by 2601-2609 Bainbridge Avenue, LLC. There are currently 44 open violations logged by NYC Department of Housing, Preservation & Development in respect of the building relating to various matters.

 

Gibson, Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-15), State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), Assemblyman George Alvarez (A.D. 78), and Councilman Oswald Feliz (C.D. 15) released the following statement in response to the fire.

 

“Our community is in mourning over the news of a tragic fire that has claimed the life of a 1-year-old baby and critically injured two 6-year-olds on Bainbridge Avenue in our Fordham community,” they said. “We are thankful for the heroic efforts and response of our first responders, the FDNY, NYC Emergency Management, the 52nd Precinct, Department of Buildings and the American Red Cross.”

 

The statement continued, “Families have been provided hotel accommodations and essential support. This tragedy is a painful reminder of the dangers of fires and the urgency for us to do more in education, outreach and prevention efforts to keep our residents and families safe. We remain in close contact with city officials on updates and keeping our families in prayers.

 

Read more on the FDNY’s response to the blaze and more here.

 

Any residents impacted by this fire who need help with their recovery and have not already connected with the Red Cross should call 1-877-RED CROSS (877-733-2767) and select Option 1.

 

Read our recent coverage of the recent fatal Belmont fire here, here, here and here.

 

Click here to read FDNY’s fire safety tips. “During a fire, always close the door behind you!” fire officials say. “It helps contain smoke and flames, giving you precious time to escape.”

 

More to follow.