New York, New York: Man, 80, Dies in Hamilton Heights Apartment Fire

An 80-year-old man died and four other people were hurt in a two-alarm fire that broke out shortly before 1:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 9, in Hamilton Heights, Manhattan. The fire started in a third-floor apartment, apartment 3H, at 660 Riverside Drive.

The six-story building stands between West 143rd and West 144th streets. The Fire Department of New York called a second alarm at 1:47 a.m. The response involved 46 units and 141 firefighters and EMS workers.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials have not released his name. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

What firefighters found inside

Firefighters found heavy clutter in the apartment. FDNY Deputy Chief Stephen Sullivan said the clutter stood waist-high to shoulder-high in places.

The fire spread to two neighbouring apartments and damaged the staircase. Officials evacuated all 54 apartments in the building while crews worked.

A second alarm brings more crews and equipment to a fire that needs a larger response. In this case, the department sent 46 units and 141 firefighters and EMS workers to Riverside Drive in the early hours of Monday.

The injured

A 52-year-old woman was taken to hospital and was in stable condition. A third resident had minor injuries and declined treatment.

Two firefighters were taken to hospital with minor injuries. In total, the toll was one person dead and four people hurt, counting the woman, the resident with minor injuries and the two firefighters.

Residents from across the building had to leave their homes after the evacuation of all 54 apartments. The damage to the staircase and to two neighbouring apartments added to the scale of the response beyond the apartment where the fire started.

What is known and what is not

Officials have confirmed the location, the time and the size of the response. They have confirmed the death of the 80-year-old man at the scene, the stable condition of the 52-year-old woman in hospital, and the minor injuries to the third resident and to two firefighters.

Officials have not released the dead man's name. They have not announced a cause. The cause is under investigation, and that work will decide how the fire started in apartment 3H.

For neighbours in Hamilton Heights, the immediate facts are the evacuation, the damaged staircase and the spread to two other apartments. For investigators, the next step is the cause, in a third-floor apartment where firefighters reported heavy clutter at waist height to shoulder height in places.

The response in numbers

The numbers show a large overnight operation. One fire in one apartment led to a second alarm at 1:47 a.m., 46 units on the scene, 141 firefighters and EMS workers, 54 apartments evacuated, two neighbouring apartments reached by the fire, one person dead and four people hurt.