A year later, News 12 reflects on the Twin Parks fire tragedy and remembers the 17 people who lost their lives in the fire. We also look at what has been done in the last year to prevent a similar tragedy from ever happening again.
"It just felt like death. Like I was about to die."
It's been one year since a tragic fire rocked the Bronx and killed 17 people. The deadly day would go down in history as one of the city's deadliest fires in decades. While time has passed, the sights and sounds of Jan. 9, 2022 still haunt survivors. Faith Graham sat down with two survivors as they recount that horrific day and its effect on them.
Full interview with a Twin Parks fire survivor
Wesley Patterson lived on the third floor, where the fire started. He recounts the terrifying moments of that day, and how he has tried to overcome the trauma in the aftermath.
Staff cleans the floor at the scene of the fatal fire at the Twin Parks apartment building in the Bronx on Jan. 9, 2022. (AP Photo)
"It looked like a battlefield."
"We were dealing with so many worst case scenarios,” said FDNY Capt. John Hunt. "It looked like a battlefield." One year after New York City's deadliest fire in decades, the firefighters who responded to the Twin Parks North West apartment complex on Jan. 9, 2022 are sharing their stories with Amanda Bossard.
Interview with the FDNY Commissioner
FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh recounts responding to the deadly Twin Parks fire and the work the department did in its aftermath. She also details the biggest risk to fire safety right now, and the changes she’s pushing for to minimize the threat.
Ladders are seen erected beside the apartment building in the Bronx after the fire on Jan. 9, 2022. (AP Photo)
“It’s a matter of public safety.”
It's been a year since a fire claimed 17 lives at Twin Parks North West. But what has been done to prevent future tragedies from happening again? In a News 12 investigation, Katelynn Ulrich spoke with tenants, lawmakers and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development about changes to the procedures and how a new bill is working to make changes to the system.
Interview with Bronx Council Member Oswald Feliz
Bronx Council Member Oswald Feliz discusses efforts underway to prevent another fire tragedy like Twin Parks from happening again.
Interview with a Twin Parks lawyer
Robert Vilensky represents 97 clients from Twin Parks North West. He shares what he learned during his investigation, and what more needs to be done in terms of fire safety.
Residents leave their building during the high rise fire on East 181st Street Jan. 9, 2022 in the Bronx. (AP Photo)
News 12 Exclusive Look at Twin Park Upgrades
It’s been one year since the devastating fire tore through Twin Parks North West. So what changes and upgrades have been made for tenants of the building? And how will some of these changes help prevent fires and save lives in the future? Katelynn Ulrich got an exclusive look inside the renovated building to see those changes and spoke with the building’s owners.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams listens during a news conference outside the apartment building where the deadly fire occurred in the Bronx on Jan. 9, 2022. (AP Photo)
Bronx community holds prayer service honoring Twin Parks victims
The community honored the 17 lives lost last year in a street renaming ceremony. Nearly all of the Twin Parks victims were of Gambian or West African descent, and part of East 181st Street is officially being co-named Abdoulie Touray Way.
People hold candles during the candlelight vigil outside the apartment building which suffered the city's deadliest fire in three decade on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022. (AP Photo)
The content below is part of News 12's January 2022 coverage of the Twin Parks fire.
Video: Twin Parks Tragedy 2022 Show
A curtain hangs outside a window at the Bronx apartment building on Jan. 9, 2022 where a fatal fire occurred in what the city's fire commissioner called one of the worst blazes in recent memory. (AP Photo)
Remembering the Lost
Carmen Grant shows how the tragic deaths from the Twin Parks fire have devastated the close-knit local Muslim community.
Painful Memories
The Twin Parks fire has sparked difficult memories of past fires in the Bronx. Kurt Semder examines tragic fires from the past.
A Heroic Effort
Jericho Tran speaks with doctors at Jacobi Medical Center who sprang into action upon receiving injured patients from the fire.
Interview: Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson
Borough President Vanessa Gibson speaks with Amanda Bossard about community relief efforts in the fire's wake. Click here to see more of our Twin Parks Fire Tragedy special from 2022.
Ladders are seen erected beside the apartment building where the fire occurred in the Bronx on Jan. 9, 2022. (AP Photo)
CREDITS:
Amanda Bossard: Reporter
Melissa De Jesus: Executive Producer - News 12 The Bronx/Brooklyn
Faith Graham: Reporter
Theresa-Ann Holihan: Senior Assignment Editor
Stan Kowalski: News Director - News 12 The Bronx/Brooklyn
Christine McGrath: Executive Producer, News 12 Digital
Chade Newton: Graphic Artist
Frank Pokorney: Assistant News Director - News 12 Digital
Aime Rodriguez: Assistant News Director - News 12 The Bronx/Brooklyn
Jose Sanchez: Photojournalist
Katelynn Ulrich: Investigative Reporter