FDNY: 5-year-old child dies, 2 others injured in Williamsbridge house fire

Fire officials say that they responded to the scene at 5:20 p.m. at 4011 Barnes Ave., between East 227th and 226th streets.

Heather Fordham, Adolfo Carrion and Samantha Chaney

Jan 4, 2024, 11:23 AM

Updated 204 days ago

Share:

The FDNY says a 5-year-old child is dead and two other people were injured following a Wednesday afternoon fire in the basement of a Williamsbridge home.
Fire officials say that they responded to the scene at 5:20 p.m. at 4011 Barnes Ave., between East 227th and 226th streets.
The 5-year-old child was transported to NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi in critical condition and later died due to his injuries, police say. An 83-year-old woman and a 26-year-old woman were also transported to Jacobi in stable condition.
Surveillance footage shows the moments when people inside came rushing out of a doorway visibly filled with smoke while carrying their loved ones and belongings. 
Sixty fire trucks filled the street to extinguish flames that started in the basement apartment Wednesday night.
According to the Department of Buildings, the 5-year-old child was found in an illegal room in the basement of the house.
A partial vacate order has been stamped on the front door of the home after DOB inspectors found three illegally constructed rooms in the basement level with no secondary way to get out. 
A small memorial now sits outside of the home to honor the life of the child who lost his life, bearing balloons and stuffed animals. 
"We're all really really hurt," said one neighbor. "It's just really really sad and horrific to see them running out with the kids."
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.


More from News 12