On Saturday night, January 25, 2025, a fire ripped through a building in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on Graham Avenue, between Metropolitan Avenue and Devoe Street. The building has a pharmacy on
the bottom floor and apartments on the upper floors.
The four-alarm fire also spread to two adjacent structures via a common cockloft, an open space between the top floor ceiling and below the roofline. According to Fire Engineering, a cockloft is a “combustible void space” that “allows unimpeded fire travel throughout the length of a building.”
According to the FDNY, thirty-nine units and about 200 firefighters were on the scene to extinguish the blaze. It took about three hours to get the fire under control.
Three firefighters and one other person were injured. Ten families were displaced, and the Red Cross is assisting them.
The New York City Department of Buildings Emergency Response Team issued a full-vacant order as the structure is in danger of collapsing.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.
Common Causes of Apartment Fires in NYC
New York City multi-family and apartment fires are much too common. Apartment fires in the five
boroughs of New York City are typically caused by the following.
Household appliances, particularly space heaters, frequently are behind apartment fires. If left unattended, they can catch fire if plugged in or turned on. The appliances may also cause a combustible item (within three feet of the device) to ignite. Unfortunately, buildings often lack heat, forcing tenants to use space heaters.
Faulty heating units can also cause fires if there is an electrical or other mechanical issue. Cooking accidents are frequently caused by flammable items (dishcloths, rags, food wrappers) catching fire in or around the kitchen. Cooking fires can also start when ovens, cooktop burners, and other heat-generating appliances are left on and unattended.
Electrical issues in the building’s wiring can cause a fire. Landlords and building owners are responsible for ensuring that their buildings are up to code and that electrical wiring is inspected.
About Ronemus & Vilensky
As the most experienced personal injury law firm in the greater New York City metro area, the attorneys at Ronemus & Vilensky have been called upon numerous times to provide excellent legal advice and counsel and help fire victims recover damages. We have procured millions of dollars for our clients and led the way in pressuring the city and landlords to take responsibility and make radical changes in their apartment buildings for the safety of residents.
