NYPD: Person dies following Belmont fire
Residents said the smell of smoke woke them up, forcing them to evacuate down the fire escape.
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The NYPD says a person died after a fire ripped through an apartment building at 2334 Washington Ave. early Saturday morning.
Some Belmont residents said their fire alarms never went off.
According to the FDNY, a fire broke out on the second floor at 2:30 a.m.
Residents said the smell of smoke woke them up, forcing them to evacuate down the fire escape.
According to city data, there are currently no records of violations or complaints regarding the emergency response system in the building.
Seven other people suffered minor injuries.
News 12 spoke with one of them, who wanted to remain anonymous. She said she is traumatized.
"I still can’t sleep at night,” she said, “When I hear the sirens from fire trucks I get so anxious.”
The cause of the fire is still unknown, according to the FDNY.
During fire prevention week, the Red Cross wants to remind New Yorkers to check their smoke detectors and establish a fire evacuation plan for their homes.
