Thursday, March 8, 2007

Bronx fire kills 9

You probably woke up this morning to this same terrible news:

FIRE KILLS 8 KIDS

The three-alarm blaze broke out shortly after 11 p.m. inside the basement of 1022 Woodycrest Ave. in the Highbridge section and quickly spread to the first floor.

9 Dead, 17 Injured in Bronx Fire

At a press conference Thursday morning Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the fire started in the basement, possibly caused by a space heater. Bloomberg said the home had two smoke detectors but there were no batteries in them.

Fatoumata Madassa, a relative of some of the residents who lives across the street, said four families lived in the building at 1022 Woodycrest Ave. She said they were immigrants from Mali, and that the four families
have 17 children between them.

8 kids, 1 adult killed in Bronx blaze

Twenty-two people lived in the home, which was split into two apartments, the mayor said. They are believed to be immigrants from the West African nation of Mali and to be members of one or two families living together, the mayor said.

Neighbors said at least one of the families ran an import-export business, and a public records search lists African American Import Export at the address.

Someone's lying here.

Here's the DOB info for this house.

An application was submitted to convert a "one-family house to 3-family house" and add sprinklers but the job was "suspended."

Hmmm....

Photo from 1010wins.com

10 comments:

georgetheatheist said...

What do you expect from the politicos in charge of this burg?

While the Ditz, Helen Marshall, hands out umpteen "Let's-All-Pull-Our-Pants-Down-And-Put-Our-Peepees-Together" Awards on March 22, VIOLATION AFTER VIOLATION against the Building Code accumulates.

Hey Moron Marshall. Stop that Terrace-on-the Park ass-kissing fest and shut down the illegal apartments!

Anonymous said...

Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion should be arrested for criminal negligence...Your next Marshall.

Anonymous said...

Another example of the City of New York not doing their job. The city looks the other way on illegal occupancy. How many more lives must be sacrificed before the city wakes up? Those poor children, Bloomberg has their blood on his hands. We have had enough of that bumbling billionaire bastard Bloomberg!

Anonymous said...

This is a tragedy soon to be followed by others, perhaps, here in Queens. We've got a borough government that simply does not care about illegal conversions and a DOB that doesn't work!

Remember the "Happyland" fire in that Bronx social club years ago? Illegal fire egress and violations abounded! So here we are all over again.

I guess that Helen Marshal & Co. only regards human life important when they can be numbered as voters!

Anonymous said...

The DOB is too busy sending their public relations guys to community and civic groups around the borough, trying to convince everyone that DOB is doing their best.

We all know that "best" means what's best for the buiders not the residents!

They can't keep pace with the backlog of building code violations, but they've got plenty of time to approve new buildings.

It's time for a building permit moratorium until they catch up! Yeah, I know....I'm dreaming...not with this pig of a mayor!!!!

Anonymous said...

Millie said: "Another example of the City of New York not doing their job. The city looks the other way on illegal occupancy. How many more lives must be sacrificed before the city wakes up? Those poor children, Bloomberg has their blood on his hands."

No, no, no !!!

There is no way in hell this is the administration's fault. DOB is not at fault, the mayor is not at fault, the FDNY is not at fault.

The news stations are appearing to start setting it up to blame someone. Who's to blame? The friggin' owner of the building!! Sure, there was some additional paperwork needed, and the TV news stations are starting to make it appear that because of this "technicality," there was a delay in installing a fire escape and a sprinkler system.

1. The paperwork problem was the owner and/or architect's responsibility.

2. There should not have been that many people living in a legal one-family house. It is the owner's responsibility to make that building safe. You want to turn it into a legal three? Fine, do it legally, and limit the number of "family members" in the building until that time.

3. I don't care what your custom is in "your country." In my country (the USA), we have one wife, one family, and are supposed to follow the laws of THIS country. You're a vistor to MY country? Follow the laws. Look what happens when you don't. Your family members die.

4. HPD issued minor violations on this site. They did their job. Where are the complaints from neighbors about illegal occupancy? Were the civic leaders anything like the ones in Maspeth and Elmhurst, who told their residents NOT to open their doors to DOB?

Let's place the blame where it belongs. Let's allow an individual to take responsibility for his actions. Let's shun him when his local politician calls a press conference and claims the city is making him the fall guy and says he's being discriminated against because he's an immigrant.


The owner of the building placed two dozen people in a one-family house. Nine are now dead. Let's have a moment of silence for those who died.

Anonymous said...

I heard on the news that no criminal charges are to be filed:

1. The owner of the building is at fault. This was a one family house and they permitted all these people in. No need to elaborate.

2. The city of NY is at fault. We have zoning and building regulations are ignored sweeping away a century of housing reform. Knowing that the population in immigrant communities are exploding, no infrastructure as firehouses, et al are being built.

3. Our cultural elite is at fault. In their effort to attract labor that can be exploited and the clubhouse, voters, we ignore issues like terrorism. Our country essentially has no borders; this is the root of our current 'affordable' housing crises.

This will also bite us in the ass sooner rather than later.

4. The immigrant community is at fault. By not going after illegal conversions and job site exploitation, their interest in building a community trumps their concern for their fellow countrymen's safety and well being.

5. And finally, the family is at fault. Being clueless as what to do in a fire, not putting batteries into smoke detectors, overloading the electrical system and cramming all those people into a small space flies against common sense.

I predict, as the real estate frenzy unfolds, more events like this in the future.

Anonymous said...

Everything you say about who is at fault is true.

Yet the innocent children pay the price for a world of clumsy adults.

What does this say for a city who has a reputation for compassion?

Anonymous said...

The reality is that there is no building enforcement whatsoever in NYC. This mayor is not interested in protecting neighborhoods from overdevelopment, illegal apartments, illegal renovations, and illegal construction. He is only interested in feeding his enormous ego and spinning the crap that this is the greatest city in the world. Bloomberg: "tell me what a great job I'm doing and how great I am and then kiss my ring and get out."

Anonymous said...

Nine "Little People" died. The Mayor scrams away to Florida to look at subways.

Bloomberg pushes for NYC to be a Sanctuary City. This is the result. People (probably very nice, hardworking and loving people) who have no stake in this city except as a place to make money, come here (legally?) without first learning HOW to live in a city. Their ignorance about smoke detectors and fire escapes has now killed 8 innocent children.

They never learned what our kindergartners learn: How to call 911; how to get out; what is a battery.

Where was DOB permitting occupancy under such dangerous conditions?

Where is Bloomberg managing the city not just for his cocktail party Precious People, but the loathsome Little People?

One posted commented that this giant family was simply cheap labor fodder for Bloomberg and his Preciousnesses.

Stay in Florida, Bloomberg. Your absence is more useful than your presence!