Deadly fires recently ravaged an affordable housing building in New York City and a row house development in Philadelphia.
In the Bronx, 17 people, including nine children, were killed and 32 sent to area hospitals after a fire at 333 East 181 St. on Jan. 9, according to news reports. It’s the city’s worst fire tragedy in decades.
Officials are attributing the blaze to a malfunctioning space heater.
“We are devastated by the unimaginable loss of life caused by this profound tragedy,” said a spokesperson for the Bronx Park Phase III Preservation partnership. “We are cooperating fully with the fire department and other city agencies as they investigate its cause, and we are doing all we can to assist our residents. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who lost their lives or were injured, and we are here to support them as we recover from this horrific fire.”
The partners in the development are well-known affordable housing firms LIHC Investment Group, Belveron Partners, and Camber Property Group.
“Anyone who needs long-term housing due to the fire will be accommodated without question,” said the spokesperson for the joint venture.
In Philadelphia, 12 people were killed, including eight children, in a Jan. 5 fire at a property owned by the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA).
“This unimaginable loss of life has shaken all of us at PHA,” said president and CEO Kelvin A. Jeremiah in a statement. “It is too early for us to say more. The property had two units, which were last inspected in April 2021 and May 2021, respectively. All smoke detectors were operating properly at that time. The fire department, ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) and others are handling the investigation. Any information on the cause will come through them. Our primary goal right now is to support our residents in any way we can.”
