Mother who stepped outside to pick up child from school bus returns to find fire trapping her other children
Neighbors said they and the mother kicked in the apartment door, but could not enter because of the heavy smoke.
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A pair of 6-year-old twins remains hospitalized in critical condition following a fire in Fordham that killed their 1-year-old sibling.
The fire broke out Monday afternoon just before 3:30 p.m. in a second-floor apartment at 2609 Bainbridge Ave.
Neighbors said the children's mother had stepped outside to pick up another child from a school bus when she saw smoke coming from the apartment.
"Who would have ever thought her coming to get her other kids from the school bus, her apartment was going to go up in flames in a matter of seconds, because that is exactly what happened," one neighbor said.
Neighbors said they and the mother kicked in the apartment door, but could not enter because of the heavy smoke.
"The fire was too intense, so we had to back away, and the poor lady, all she could do is scream and cry," said a neighbor, who did not want to be identified.
Firefighters rescued the 1-year-old boy, identified as Liam Parks, along with his twin 6-year-old siblings, from the burning apartment.
One neighbor described the emotional scene as first responders attempted to save the toddler's life.
"They were crying. They were trying to save his life, doing CPR. They put an oxygen mask on his face. The firefighters were crying," said Jaime Cuebas Ventura.
The 1-year-old would eventually die from his injuries.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. However, the Department of Buildings reported finding unsafe lithium battery storage in a first-floor apartment, along with illegally constructed units inside the building.
"Beyond heartbreaking, and it shows a lot, including the systems we have in place are not enough to prevent these deadly fires," said Councilmember Oswald Feliz, who represents the district.
Feliz said families need working smoke alarms, self-closing doors and more education about the dangers associated with e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries.
"We've made progress on e-bikes," Feliz said. "We've had fewer deaths, but the number of fires related to e-bikes are probably worse than they've ever been."
Three firefighters and two adults suffered minor injuries. Officials said 38 people were displaced by the fire.
The building remains under a full vacate order, and windows have since been boarded up.
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