Bronx neighborhood remembers massive 2017 fire that killed 13 people

Four years have passed since a massive fire ripped through a building in Belmont killing 13 people, injuring another 14 and displacing dozens of tenants.

News 12 Staff

Dec 28, 2021, 5:55 PM

Updated 1,071 days ago

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Four years have passed since a massive fire ripped through a building in Belmont killing 13 people, injuring another 14 and displacing dozens of tenants.
It was a cold December day four years ago when a five-alarm fire broke out at 2363 Prospect Ave., quickly turning into the deadliest fire in the city in a quarter century. The FDNY concluded it was all started by a 3-year-old boy playing with the stove.
Officials say it became deadly when his mother left their apartment door open as they fled which allowed the flames to engulf the building. One woman who lives nearby says she wasn’t there when it happened, but still gets goosebumps walking by.
The building looks like any other today, save for a few boarded-up windows and a new glass door. People who live in the area say the building has sat empty since 2017 but that construction crews have been working around the clock to rebuild it.
No word has been given on when the building is going to reopen. People in the neighborhood say construction seems to be almost done and they hope new tenants will move in soon.