A Thanksgiving Day explosion at a South Ozone Park house was caused by the misuse of a stove inside an illegal apartment, according to Fire Department officials.
“The location of the explosion was an illegally renovated setback apartment,” an FDNY spokesman said in an email. “The explosion was caused by misuse of a stove on the premises.”
According to city records released last week, the owner of the house was given two violations by the city Department of Buildings on the day the back of the first floor spontaneously exploded.
The house, located at 107-55 108 St., was illegally altered from a one- or two-family dwelling to accommodate four or more families, DOB records state.
An illegal canopy at the rear of the house was also placed by the homeowner, according to records.
The homeowner, identified by the DOB as Boonness Harrychand, is scheduled for a hearing at the Environmental Control Board, the tribunal body that administers penalties to people who violate DOB regulations, on Jan. 13.
Harrychand did not respond to requests for comments on the violations by press time.
The DOB did not respond to requests for comment on whether or not gas work was done inside the illegal units.
3 comments:
My only hope is the insurance company refuses to pay anything for the damages
and he will have to file bankruptcy soon, and probably lose his house.
DOB needs to require annual home inspections. Have FDNY work with the DOB and most of this crap would stop and lives would be saved.
When I was growing up in Ridgewood, I remember the FDNY coming by every summer to check that the roof access was accessible and not locked (which some landlords did to prevent people from going up to the roof or criminals from getting in). This was a safety issue. Why don't they reinstate the building safety checks by the FDNY?
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