Three families displaced after 2-alarm fire rips through Co-op City high-rise
Fire officials say the blaze broke out just after 4 a.m. at 100 Ash Loop. Neighbors woke up before sunrise to bright orange flames shooting from the building — 25 stories in the air — triggering a frantic escape.
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Three families are receiving assistance from the American Red Cross after a two-alarm fire tore through a Co-op City high-rise early Monday morning.
Fire officials say the blaze broke out just after 4 a.m. at 100 Ash Loop. Neighbors woke up before sunrise to bright orange flames shooting from the building — 25 stories in the air — triggering a frantic escape.
“We knew it was something bad because we never seen so many firefighters before,” one resident said.
More than 140 first responders rushed to the scene, surrounding the building with flashing lights as crews worked for more than an hour to bring the flames under control.
Officials say five people were injured, including one firefighter. Paramedics say all are expected to recover.
Debris from a broken window where firefighters vented the apartment was scattered across the ground below. Large shards of glass and ash covered portions of the walkway as crews assessed the damage.
Inside the building, the impact is still being felt.
Eighty-year-old Judy Rudnick says she now has to walk down nine flights of stairs with a cane because the elevators are temporarily out of service.
“I have no elevator and I have to walk down the stairs,” Rudnick said. “These things happen — we’ll get over it.”
Rudnick says building management told residents the elevator shafts were flooded during firefighting efforts. Management confirmed to News 12 that repairs are pending and they are waiting to hear back from elevator mechanics.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
