Fordham families left picking up pieces after storm caused roof fire at apartment

Families in Fordham say they are searching for temporary housing after a storm caused a roof fire at their apartment.

News 12 Staff

Aug 2, 2022, 2:28 AM

Updated 877 days ago

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Families in Fordham say they are searching for temporary housing after a storm caused a roof fire at their apartment. 
Juan Sosa is just one of a group of tenants at 303 East 188th St. who is looking for shelter after a lightning strike caused a four-alarm fire on the roof of his apartment building.  
“It’s been a week since,” said Sosa, whose family’s apartment has water and debris damage in every room. “We’re homeless at the moment.” 
The five-story building remains under a full vacate order by the city’s Buildings Department, and impacted families were allowed back in the building last week to retrieve some of their belongings. 
Michael West, whose entire family suffers from asthma, says his unit sustained a lot of smoke and water damage. 
Since the fire, the building has been without gas and water. On Monday, a restoration crew started to clean the apartment building.  
Management says tenants should expect a long and extensive recovery, with current manager Rob Donovan saying with inspections and insurance claims, it could take several months for the building to return to normal.