Second fire in 6 months engulfs Wakefield apartment building known for disrepair
Officials said the fire broke out just before 7 a.m. in a third-floor unit, sending flames and heavy smoke through the building.
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A fire tore through a third-floor apartment Saturday morning in Wakefield, leaving multiple families homeless and raising renewed concerns about building conditions at 666 East 233rd St.
Officials said the fire broke out just before 7 a.m. in a third-floor unit, sending flames and heavy smoke through the building. It marks the second fire reported at the same address in less than six months.
Residents said the building has long suffered from poor conditions, including ongoing repair issues. The property is managed by Parkesh Management, notorious for appearing on the city’s worst landlord list.
“I woke up and smelled smoke but didn’t think anything of it because I’ve smelled that before,” said Kareem Graham, who lives in the apartment where the fire started. “I put my mother over my shoulder and threw her wheelchair down the steps.”
Graham said he, his young children and his disabled mother were asleep when the fire began in the living room. He added that they did not hear any alarms and claimed that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the apartment had not worked for years, despite the family living there for more than two decades.
Crews worked Saturday afternoon to remove standing water that had poured through the apartment during firefighting efforts, using buckets and other containers.
Despite the loss, Graham said he is grateful his family survived.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
