Frantz Sannon found his elderly parents inside M.S. 391, a middle school that the Red Cross turned into a resource center for residents displaced after the deadly Bronx fire Sunday.
"I grabbed them. They’re sitting down having some food right now," Sannon said, "I grabbed them. Like, my eyes couldn’t believe it."
It served as a place to be warm, get food and water, reunite with family and pray.
For hours after the blaze, Sannon could not reach his parents.
"I thought they would be in the ER right now getting a ventilator," he said. "I’m just so happy. Thank God they’re nice and safe.
Displaced residents said the school was holding hundreds of people from the 19-story apartment building.
Mohamad Trawalley and his family escaped from the 12th floor with the help of firefighters.
"The smoke was so much. You didn’t know where the smoke was coming from," Trawalley said. "It was devastating."
Throughout the afternoon, volunteers delivered boxes of food water and toiletries.
Almida Velasquez, who suffered through her own fire last year, offered clothing.
“Earlier, when I came and I saw the building on fire, it just hit me because we had a fire last year, thank God nobody got hurt or anything, but once I found out a couple people passed away, I said, 'You need to do something for the people who are still alive and still here, and try to help them one way or another,” she said.
The Department of Buildings said a partial vacate order has been issued for apartments 3A through 3P on the third floor due to damage from the fire. The DOB added that all residents who were displaced have been offered emergency relocation assistance by the American Red Cross.