Fire at Bronx's Monroe Houses leaves residents alarmed
The FDNY has confirmed no injuries from the fire but has yet to determine its cause.
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A late-night fire outside the Monroe Houses in the Bronx has left residents alarmed, with some calling the blaze suspicious.
The fire broke out around 11 p.m. at 810 Soundview Ave., destroying what neighbors describe as a makeshift shelter belonging to an unhoused man who frequently stayed in the area.
"He said, 'That's my things on fire. Who did that?'" said Benedicta Cruz, a tenant of the Monroe Houses.
Cruz lives in an apartment directly above the fire. "The smell was putrid—it really was," she said.
Firefighters arrived quickly and managed to contain the flames. The aftermath left items charred and unrecognizable.
Neighbors say their greatest concern wasn’t for their own safety but for the man.
"I told my son, 'Oh, my gosh, is he on fire?' That was my thought," Cruz said.
Another tenant, Carmen Trinidad, shared similar concerns: "I'm just concerned that something might have happened to him. I hope not."
Residents are now questioning the cause of the fire, with many believing it was intentionally set.
"That had to be deliberate. Intentional," Cruz said. "I don’t know if it was to push him out, but that’s what it seems like."
The FDNY has confirmed no injuries from the fire but has yet to determine its cause.
