The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) has reported that a 3-alarm residential fire broke out in a multiple-unit building in Van Cortlandt Village in the early hours of Thursday morning. There were eight injured but none seriously.

 

FDNY officials initially reported, via Twitter, that “all hands” were being asked to respond to a reported fire in a multiple dwelling at 124 Van Cortlandt Avenue West in Van Cortlandt Village at around 4.21 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 4.

Bronx All Hands Box 3770, 124 VAN CORTLANDT AVE W, MULTIPLE DWELLING A

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) November 4, 2021

A subsequent FDNY tweet, one minute later, reported a 2-alarm fire at 130 Van Cortlandt Avenue West, also in a multiple-unit dwelling.

 

Verified video footage posted to the Citizens’ App by users showed a high rise building with lots of smoke, large flames, and what looked to be a major blaze. Several fIrefighters were seen on the roof of the building attempting to extinguish the fire. The location given was 130 Van Cortlandt Avenue West.

 

Other verified videos showed several emergency vehicles at the location.

 

Video via Citizen

According to posts by Citizens’ App users around the same time, firefighters received unconfirmed reports of a gas odor both at 130 Van Cortlandt Avenue West and at 124 Van Cortlandt Avenue West.

 

In a subsequent tweet at 4.44 a.m., FDNY reported a three-alarm fire at 130 Van Cortlandt Avenue West, this time specifying the location as Apt. 7D on the 7th Floor.

Bronx 2-Alarm Box 3770, 130 VAN CORTLANDT AVE W, MULTIPLE DWELLING A

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) November 4, 2021

 

Breaking News Network (BNN) reported at 5.12 a.m. that the FDNY field commander at the scene said five hose lines were stretched, with four in operation, and that the fire was dampening down.

 

At 5.26 a.m., BNN reported that the field commander said the fire/building would probably hold.

 

BNN provided a further update at 5.49 a.m. that the field commander had referred to two “additional” serious injuries / walking wounded at the scene.

Bronx 3-Alarm Box 3770, 130 VAN CORTLANDT AVE W, MULTIPLE DWELLING A, APT 7D 7FLR, Under Control

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) November 4, 2021

A final tweet went out at 6.13 a.m. confirming that the 3-alarm fire at 130 Van Cortlandt Avenue West was under control.

 

Norwood News has reached out to the FDNY to ask if the reported fires at 124 Van Cortlandt Avenue West and 130 Van Cortlandt Avenue West were two different fires or if they were related, as well as confirmation of any injuries and the cause of the fire.

 

FDNY officials later confirmed officially that the fire occurred on the top floor apartment 7D of a 50 x 100, 7-story, multiple dwelling at 130 Van Cortlandt Avenue, was reported at 4.12 a.m. on Nov. 4, and advanced to a 3-alarm fire at 4.43 a.m.

 

They said this brought 33 units and about 138 members of the FDNY (in total) to the scene and the fire was placed under control at 6.12 a.m. There were five civilians injured who refused medical attention and three fire fighters who incurred minor injuries and were transported to area hospitals.

 

“The fire extended to the area above the ceiling and below the roof, and extended to multiple apartments on the top floor of that building,” said FDNY Deputy Chief William McCormack.

 

Asked by a reporter if there was anything in particular that had made the job especially difficult, he said, “No, the fact that it spread so fast to the other apartments…. the men did a great job in controlling it and keeping it to that one area of the building.”

 

He added, “The first responding chief did a great job. He knew it was going to be a fast-running fire. He gave a second alarm as soon as he got in, and that probably made a difference in us keeping it to the extent that it did.”

 

The deputy chief said the Red Cross had gone to the scene and were taking care of the families that were on the impacted top-floor apartments.

 

FDNY officials later confirmed that, per FDNY fire marshals, the cause of the fire was “accidental, electrical.” They added that a smoke alarm was present but not operational.