East Harlem Fire Started In Illegal Apartment, City Says

EAST HARLEM, NY — A three-alarm fire that broke out Wednesday in East Harlem started in an illegally-converted apartment, a city Department of Buildings spokesman confirmed.

The owner of 158 E. 110th St. — a four story-building located between Lexington and Third avenues — was hit with violations from the city Department of Buildings after inspectors determined a fire that broke out in the building started in an illegally-converted unit on the building's first floor. The DOB inspectors were conducting a structural stability investigation when they made the determination, a department spokesman said.

The building is not at risk of collapse but was ordered to be vacated due to fire and water damage suffered throughout, a DOB spokesman said. Tenants who vacated the building were offered relocation assistance from the American Red Cross, a DOB spokesman said.

The fire broke out around 3:40 p.m. and prompted a third-alarm response, which means more than 130 firefighters responded to the scene. Flames were also reported in the basement of the building, fire officials said.

One person was rescued from the building and hospitalized in serious but stable condition, fire officials said. A firefighter involved in the rescue detailed the close call.

"We proceeded to the floors above and began our search. I found an unconscious patient, so I called it in. At that point, the can man, Probationary Firefighter Edward J. Masterson, came upstairs and helped me get the individual out of the apartment where we could hand them off to EMS,” FDNY Lieutenant Andrew Magenheim said in a statement.

Magenheim credited another firefighter, Brian Foley, for forcing open a door to create an escape route during the rescue. Once the firefighters were above the building's first floor they could not use the same staircase to exit the building, Magenheim said in a statement.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Photo by NYPD 23rd Precinct