Unionport fire latest: Displaced tenants retrieve belongings amid ongoing cleanup
Workers piled personal belongings and burnt debris from the building on Sunday afternoon as HPD officials surveyed the damage.
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Nearly 48 hours after heavy smoke and flames ripped through a six-story apartment complex in Unionport, several apartment windows are now boarded up and the clean-up is underway near Ellis and Pugsley avenues.
Workers piled personal belongings and burnt debris from the building on Sunday afternoon, as HPD officials surveyed the damage.
The FDNY said the fire started around 8 p.m. Friday, and it took more than 100 first responders to get the flames under control.
Authorities said one person was taken to a hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, and two firefighters suffered minor injuries.
The Department of Buildings told News 12 there was severe fire damage on one side of the building, and they issued a partial vacate order for 16 apartments.
Some displaced tenants were allowed back into their apartments on Sunday, as they tried to salvage anything they could.
“We’re just throwing things in a bag, but we’re losing a lot,” said Tiffany Rameriez. “We just bought new fridges, new laundry, everything. So, we can’t even calculate what we’re losing or what we’re taking.”
As of Sunday evening, the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The Red Cross told News 12 they’re helping more than 150 people with emergency assistance.
